KARACHI: Parties urged to help protect child rights
KARACHI, April 28: Speakers mainly comprising healthcare professionals here on Saturday urged the political parties to include the prevention of diseases and foolproof mechanism of child rights protection among the top priorities of their election manifestos.
They were speaking at the Eighth Foundation Day programme of the Child Aid Association supported by the Oncology Unit of the National Child Health Institute.
The speakers unanimously demanded an absolute ban on the sale of sweetened beetle nuts and other beetle nuts as well as tobacco-made products, gutka, food items containing unsafe colours -- meant for leather and textile goods.
Prof Nizamul Hasan, one of the senior-most paediatricians of the country and President of the Child Aid Association, Prof Afroze Ramzan Ali, the NICH director; Fatima Surraiya Bajia, adviser to the Sindh Chief Minister, Dr Mohsin Ali; Dr Qaiser Sajjad, General Secretary of the Pakistan Medical Association, were addressing the programme.
The speakers registered their concern about the growing vulnerability of children to different health conditions despite the fact that they were largely avoidable.
Strong political will was said to be pre-requisite at all levels to protect children in particular and adults in general against conditions such as easy availability of hazardous products, including betel nut-made products, tobacco-based items, cigarettes, exposure to chemicals, deteriorating environment conditions.
The speakers observed that the cited conditions were seriously compromising life quality of the masses which at one point or another would affect the process of national progress.
Prof Nizamul Hasan particularly referring to cancer said the disease which was considered to be somebody else’s was no more so.
“Currently on an average 160 child patients receive cancer treatment every month at the NICH Oncology Unit alone,” he said.
The paediatrician mentioned that the data about other units was not available but they too were believed to be on the rising side.
He was supplemented by Dr Qaiser Sajjad who mentioned that tobacco smoking and chewing beetle nuts at an early age put the younger lot at high risk of developing cancers.
Dr Sajjad, an ENT surgeon, showed photographs of children and youth inflicted with oral cancer and throat cancers due to risky behaviour.
Paediatrician, Dr Nizamul Hasan observed that the treatment of cancer was very expensive and beyond the reach of people belonging to the poor as well as middle classes of Pakistan.
“It is therefore all the more necessary to make every effort to develop a cancer-awareness programme in the population and how to prevent it starting from school age,” he said.
NICH Director Prof Afroze Razman expressed her gratitude to the Child Aid Association for its support in establishing and running the oncology unit.
She also underscored the need to create awareness at all levels of the disease which in 70 per cent cases was curable but required massive funds causing unnecessary burden for the country with limited resources.
The chief guest, Fatima Surraiya Bajia, mentioned that she herself being suffering from cancer could well comprehend the plight of other patients, particularly children.
She stressed the need for an absolute ban on smoking and beetle nuts chewing besides other hazardous products.
Fatima Surraiya on the occasion distributed gift packs among the children receiving treatment at the Oncology Unit , NICH.
These gifts were donated by the students and administration of the Karachi American School and a dedicated team of social workers.
Some of the students of the Karachi American School were also present on the occasion and offered their voluntary service to the CAA and the NICH.
The child patients smartly dressed up also enjoyed face painting.
Dr Yasmeen Akbani and Dr Najma were also present on the occasions along with other senior medical professionals, Dr Abdul Majid, honorary general secretary of the Child Aid Association, presented a vote of thanks. —APP
