KARACHI, Oct 15: Participants of a seminar at the Dow Medical College have demanded a ban on smoking at all medical colleges and health care institutions in the country.
The seminar on the “Tobacco epidemic in Pakistan and the role of medical community” was organized by Dowites Opposing Smoking and Tobacco (Dost), Dow Medical College, on Tuesday. The Sindh Ombudsman, Justice Haziq-ul-Khairi (rtd), presided over the seminar.
In his inaugural address, the principal of DMC, Dr Illahi Bakhsh Soomro, referred to the role of doctors and medical students in developing an anti-smoking culture in society, and also regretted the high prevalence of smoking among members of the medical profession in the country.
The president of the Pakistan Chest Society, Sindh, Dr Nadeem Rizvi, highlighted the serious ill-effects of smoking on the human body.
The Dean of Medicines, University of Karachi, Dr Tipu Sultan, stressed the need for strict implementation of the recently announced tobacco prohibition ordinance. While demanding a ban on all sort of tobacco advertisements, he also suggested that the tobacco industry should not be allowed to sponsor musical concerts and sporting events.
Prof Javaid A Khan from AKU mentioned that over 25 per cent of doctors and medical students smoke in Pakistan, in contrast to the western world, where the prevalence of smoking in the medical community was below 2 per cent.
Prof Salahuddin Afsar of Civil Hospital said that Pakistanis smoked Rs560 million worth of cigarettes every day. Billions are spent every year on the treatment of diseases caused by tobacco use in the country, he added.
