ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi said that adopting preventive measures could help people avoid or minimize the intensity of diseases, and improve the overall health condition of the population of the country.

While addressing the “Med-Health Expo 2023 and Summit” here on Wednesday, the president said that health and education were two basic sectors which needed to be put on top priority because nations always build on these two areas.

The president said the people especially those with limited resources could easily avoid chronic diseases such as breast cancer, hepatitis, and communicable diseases by adopting preventive measures.

With regard to the deteriorating health sector in the country, he highlighted that lack of decision-making, avoidance of merit and corruption in the past were the main reason behind limited health facilities in the country.

The health sector exhibition was organised by the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) aimed at information exchange, learning, and cooperation opportunities for health professionals.

The two-day event will showcase the latest research and developments in various medical fields through a series of sessions.

President Alvi stressed universities and academia to promote research in the health sector that would bring tremendous improvement in human health.

He urged medical professionals to move along with the world that was doing advance research on human DNA to predict the disease in people.

He also called upon the industrialists to produce affordable medical devices to ensure access of people, especially from all walks of society to quality medical facilities.

President Alvi said the industrialists and the exporters should explore big potential markets such as Africa to increase their exports of pharmaceutical and surgical instruments.

He said that some nine million pregnancies occurred annually in the country, out of which, 50 percent were unwanted which could easily be avoided by providing contraceptive facilities to the people.

Similarly, he said doctors and hospitals should also use the latest technology to provide online healthcare facilities to save resources of both patients and the hospitals.

This would also help reach out to the maximum number of people, he added.

The president also stressed the need to provide first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training to common people from school levels to save lives of the people in emergencies.

President RCCI Saqib Rafiq said President Dr Arif Alvi and First Lady Samina Alvi played a vital role in creating awareness about different diseases, especially breast cancer in the country.

He said Pakistan’s health sector was facing challenges which needed to be addressed.

He said due to a lack of awareness and health facilities, 10 percent of total population was suffering from hepatitis and 34 per cent from stress. Similarly, he said maternal mortality was very high in the country.

Chairman of the event Usman Shoukat called upon the government to focus on the health sector and take special measures for the uplift of the sector.

Group leader RCCI Sohail Altaf maintained that the government should provide subsidized land and equipment to the private sector to ensure affordable healthcare facilities to the masses.

On the occasion, President Alvi also awarded shields to pharmaceutical companies, private hospitals, and medical laboratories for their services in the health sector.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023