Drs community to launch awareness campaign about hazards of smoking: Mujtaba Shuja

Lahore: Provincial Minister for Excise & Taxation and Finance Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman has stressed upon the doctors community for launching massive awareness campaign for sensitizing the people about hazardous aspects of smoking with a view to prevent TB, heart, lungs, bronchitis and various types of lungs cancer. He said that it is high time for promoting social mobilization against smoking, TB and cancer. He said that billions of rupees are being wasted on smoking annually which is major cause of spread of deadly diseases like TB, lungs cancer and even cardiovascular diseases as well as other chest diseases even chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases which 4th main cause of deaths in the world and 600 million people are victims of this disease in the world, whereas, according to WHO 3 million people die each year in the world due to these complications. He stressed the need of door-to-door & child-to-child coordination and involvement of lady health workers for the success of immunization programmes. He said that WHO would continue its assistance for the provision of basic healthcare facilities at grass root level.

While talking to delegations of people, doctors and community leaders, Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman said protective healthcare programmes would be continued to save the children from epidemic, communicable and non-communicable diseases. He said that by increasing the health budget up to 121.80 billion rupees, the present government has ensured modern health facilities and free medicines. He said that in order to setup a smoking and pollution free society, it is the collective responsibility of parents, teachers, ulema, social welfare organizations besides government to create awareness among the peoples against the use of cigarettes. The Minister said that it is paramount obligation of parents and teachers to keep a vigilance eye on the habits and circles of friends to save the new generation from this scourge. He said that the TB DOTS programme is being implemented in all the districts in Punjab and TB DOTS medicines including test facilities are available at all the health centers also.

Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman   said that the protective healthcare programmes aim at reducing morbidity, disabilities and mortality caused by seven vaccine preventable diseases namely Childhood Tuberculosis, Poliomyelitis, Diphtheria, Pertussis, Measles, Neonatal tetanus and Hepatitis-B by vaccinating all children below one year of age, in addition, all pregnant women are vaccinated against tetanus. The priority targets of the programme are polio eradication followed by elimination of Neonatal Tetanus & measles, he concluded.