PHOTO: REUTERS
A significant number of deaths occur due to non- communicable diseases like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and cancer and in this regard health ministry has initiated an awareness drive.
A cycling event “pedal for health” was also part of the campaign. Subsequent to this, a hiking activity at Margalla Trail 3 has been organised by Health Ministry.
The minister said physical activities like running, hiking, cycling can significantly reduce the chances of acquiring non- communicable diseases. One of the important risk factors that are contributing in development of Non communicable diseases is lack of physical activity, Kiani said.
Minister further added according to World Health Organization (WHO) physical inactivity (lack of physical activity) has been identified as the third leading risk factor for global mortality (6% of deaths globally). Physical inactivity is estimated to be the main cause for 27% of diabetes and approximately 30% of ischaemic heart disease burden.
Minister said that government has been working to make federal capital a model health city and there was a plan to work on health tourism with provision of modern health technology to the hospital.
The Ministry of National Health Services has decided to upgrade all rural health center (RHCs) and basic health units (BHUs) in Islamabad Capital Territory with addition of more facilities to ensure Provision of the best medical cover to citizens.
The Government has started up-gradation of all health facilities in ICT while dispensaries are also being upgraded to ensure provision of standard medical services to the people of federal capital.
Minister stated that each Union Council of Islamabad will have at least one public health facility. For this 2 more RHCs and 9 BHUs will be built in coming years in the rural areas of Islamabad.
Federal Minister said that our government has paid special attention to the critical issue and strengthened program providing free treatment to TB patients. Resultantly, more than 300, 000 TB patients are benefiting from free diagnostic and treatment facility every year in Pakistan. I am pleased to note that more than 30 hospitals have been upgraded to take care of multi-drug resistance TB cases and 13 labs equipped with state of the art facilities are being established in various part of the country.
Minister said to control the infectious disease, ministry has established a centre in G-7/3, Islamabad. It will be a model center dedicated for the screaming, testing and treatment of TB and Hepatitis-C. In this project, we will start screaming, testing from slum areas of ICT. The teams will visit door to door in these areas and screen high risk individuals. All the testing, screaming the TB treatment would be free of cost.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 25th, 2019.
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