Public health: ‘Awareness needed to avoid hypertension complications’

Minister says collective efforts needed to deal with diseases.

LAHORE: Excise and Taxation Minster Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman said on Tuesday that if it was not dealt with effectively hypertension could complicate cardiovascular problems.

“The only way to avoid such complications is early diagnosis and educating people about these,” the minister told a delegation of doctors at his residence.

He called for launching a campaign to make people aware of various aspects of hypertension diagnosis and management. The government, physicians, the NGOs, the media and the public should all play their part in this regard, he said.



“Our public health system cannot alone deal with diabetes, dialysis, heart surgeries and laser treatment of eyes... the best strategy is to concentrate on prevention and early treatment of diseases,” he said.

Rehman said the provincial government had introduced many reforms in the health sector. He said budget allocations for health and related sectors had been increased significantly.

“In Pakistan, more than 40 per cent of the population over the age of 45 suffers from some non-communicable disease, including high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. The trend seems to be on the rise,” he said.

Rehman said electricity load shedding would be ended by 2018. This development would attract more foreign investment, he said.

He said the government was making efforts to improve governance, establish rule of law, ensure transparent recruitment and create one million jobs a year.

“Several reforms are being introduced to ensure better service delivery and facilitate greater private sector participation in the economy,” he said. The minister said the government wished to revive economic growth by facilitating private sector investment to complement medium-term development framework 2014-18 and the Punjab Growth Strategy. This would help achieve a growth rate of 8 per cent by 2018, he said.

Rehman said overseas Pakistanis were the major source of earning foreign exchange. “They are our ambassadors in countries across the world. The government is taking concrete steps for their welfare,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2015.