PESHAWAR, Nov 28: Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Mohammad Ali Durrani has said that the government is working on a plan to include a chapter on youth health in the new youth policy.
"Prevention is better than cure. Therefore, we must lay emphasis on preventive measures required to do away with diabetes," Mr Durrani said here on Saturday while speaking at a seminar.
The one-day event, organized by the Abaseen Institute of Medical Sciences (Aims), was also addressed by doctors and patients. They asked people to avoid eating oily food, sweets, smoking and do exercise to escape diabetes.
Mr Durrani said it was a national tragedy that people did not take things seriously, which caused more problems. He stressed need to raise awareness among people regarding health matters.
"The government cannot resolve these problems alone and is encouraging private sector to come forward to seek resolution of the problems," he said. NWFP Population Minister Kashif Azam said the MMA government had established a Rs500 million health endowment fund for the poor.
The system of Zakat distribution had been made transparent and free drugs were being given to patients in emergency wards of the provincial hospitals, he claimed. "Hospitals in 23 districts are being upgraded to provide specialist healthcare facilities to people near their home," he said.
Nutritionist Syed Said Qadir urged diabetic patients to eat boiled vegetables, pulses and avoid meat and diet having proteins. He said that one fifth of Frontier's population was prone to diabetes because of having unbalanced diet.
"Sugarless green tea and bread of raw flour should be consumed by the patients because these contained anti-diabetes ingredients", he said, adding that patients could use limited quantity of mutton and chicken meat, banana, dates and grapes.
Director of the institute and diabetes expert Dr Ziaul Hassan said that diabetes was a life-long disease and suggested that patients should regularly visit doctors.
"Diabetes gives birth to hypertension, heart and kidney problems. Wounds of diabetic patients never get healed and often they have to get their hands or feet amputated due to injuries," he said.
Dr Hassan said the disease was curable if detected in early stages and given proper attention. He said Aims had established 23 centres throughout the province where free diagnostic facilities were being extended to people.
The organization, he said, had also registered 83 patients, most of them below 14 year. They would be given free insulin on regularly, he added. He expressed concern over misguided advertisements published in newspapers, which offered complete treatment of diabetes. The print and electronic media should stop these unethical advertisements and create public awareness regarding the disease.
NWFP Diabetes Association president Dr Saeedul Majeed urged people to change their life style and avoid eating sweets to keep the ailment at bay. He said 11 per cent people in the Frontier province were diabetic or would-be victims.
A 12-year-old boy, Mehboob Azam, who developed diabetes five years ago, said he was a brilliant student in his class and was also good at cricket and football. "I feel no problem in getting insulin everyday and do regular exercise, which keeps me fit and fresh," said a class VI student, Alam.
On the occasion, a food festival was also held. Doctors also examined patients and conducted their blood tests. Comedian Said Rehman Sheeno and others performed skits sending messages that the people should eat vegetables and pulses and avoid meat and sweat.
