LAHORE, June 22: Punjab Health Minister Dr Tahir Ali Javed has stressed the need for launching a joint awareness campaign by government, physicians, NGOs and media about the fatal aspects of diabetes.

He was presiding over a meeting at the Mayo Hospital on Saturday.

Dr Tahir said diabetes had become an epidemic. Between 7 per cent to 10 per cent of the population was suffering from this disease. It was a matter of great concern that many diabetics did not know that they were suffering from the disease.

The minister said that prevention could be the only effective strategy to control the disease. The existing health delivery system alone could not take the pressure to care chronic diabetes complications like dialysis, heart surgery, laser treatment of eye and renal transplants.

The government would readily cooperate to hold refresher courses to update the knowledge of health personnel regarding latest treatment technologies and serve the masses all over the province.

Earlier, Mayo Hospital diabetic clinic in charge Dr Fayza Rajab said the clinic had treated about 24,000 patients, while its attached laboratory had conducted 31,000 blood sugar tests at the cost of Rs5 per test during the last year.