Growth only possible with healthy employees

Fitness promotes productivity, reduces healthcare costs

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President, Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, called upon the private sector on Saturday to focus on the healthy lifestyle of workers to achieve sustainable business growth.

Speaking at the third International Lifestyle Medicine Conference 2022, Bakhtawari said that employers should focus on adopting principles of workplace wellness to keep their employees fit and healthy.

“Many people at workplaces normally suffer from some common diseases including sugar, high blood pressure and stress, the main cause of which is their inactive lifestyle as most of them remain sitting for hours without any physical activity,” said the ICCI president.

He urged that “Employers develop health protection, health promotion and disease prevention programmes, and policies to reduce health risks and improve the quality of life of their workers,” adding that such steps would also decrease direct and indirect costs such as absenteeism and improve productivity.

Apart from arranging health insurance, Bakhtawari said, “Workers should be provided easy access to health fitness facilities, with seminars and workshops on health education.”

“Healthy workers will contribute more effectively to the growth of businesses and organisations by enhancing productivity and reducing healthcare costs,” he added.

The Rifah International University Chancellor Hassan Muhammad Khan, Riphah Institute of Lifestyle Medicine Director Dr Shagufta Feroz, Professor Dr Anis Ahmed and many other local and international speakers also addressed the “Science of Preventing, Arresting and Reversing Disease” conference.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2022.

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.