Online seminar on South Asia’s health care challenges held
Doctors and nurses are seen inside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the El Tunal hospital, where they treat patients suffering from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Bogota, Colombia June 12, 2020. Picture taken June 12, 2020. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez
Health expert Dr Mobashir Ahmed Bhatti has said state-of-the-art health facilities, healthcare professionals and proper research with adequate infrastructure is needed to become more viable country in health sector.
He was addressing COMSTECH webinar on “South Asia’s Health Care Challenges” organised online.
Dr Bhatti said that South Asia spent only two percent of GDP on healthcare which was inappropriate to meet the current and future challenges of health in the region.
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He added that a combination of genetic, physiological, lifestyle and environmental factors could cause non-communicable diseases. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease causing disease burden in south Asia.
In Pakistan, after 50 years of age, people face blood pressure issues, he said and suggested improving the lifestyle and remove the causes of blood pressure that included not having the right food besides our way of cooking.
He recommended forming a committee of experts by the government with the mandate to ensure healthy food provision to the masses.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 1st, 2021.