Punjab Finance Minister Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman has stressed upon the doctors community for launching massive awareness campaign for sensitising the people about hazardous aspects of smoking with a view to prevent TB, heart, lungs, bronchitis and various types of lungs cancer.
He was talking to various delegations of doctors and community leaders here on Tuesday, disclosed an official. He said it is high time for promoting social mobilisation against smoking, TB and cancer. He said billions of rupees are being wasted on smoking annually, which is major cause of spread of deadly diseases like TB and lungs cancer. "According to WHO 3 million people die each year in the world due to these complications. There is a need of door-to-door and child-to-child co-ordination and involvement of lady health workers for the success of immunisation programmes. WHO would continue its assistance for the provision of basic healthcare facilities at the grass-roots level," he added.
According to him, protective healthcare programmes would be continued to save the children from epidemic, communicable and non-communicable diseases. By increasing the health budget up to Rs 121.80 billion, the present government has ensured modern health facilities and free medicines. In order to set up a smoking and pollution free society, it is the collective responsibility of parents, teachers, ulema, social welfare organisations besides government to create awareness among the people against the use of cigarettes. 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 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 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 and measles," he added.
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