KARACHI, Jan 18: The ongoing Public Health Awareness Week at Liaquat National Hospital (LNH) concluded on Saturday with a registered turn out of over 10,000 people attending the series of awareness sessions regarding a wide range of preventable ailments.

Topics discussed by doctors provided ample chance to people to raise queries and seek elaborations on infection induced ailments, hepatitis, cardiac diseases, smoking, complications related to pregnancy, breast-feeding, osteoporosis, dental problems and thyroid disorders.

Extreme public interest invoked the LNH administration to announce that similar health awareness week would be held thrice a year. People were also provided free of charge opportunity for blood sugar, cholesterol, hepatitis tests and consultation to control obesity, blood pressure, diabetes and other common illnesses during the week-long activity.

Addressing the closing ceremony, LNH Director Dr Salman Farooqui appreciated the efforts put into by Dr Ishrat Saleem, the executive organizer of the programme, and his team and all hospital staffers for setting a precedence that also marked the 50th anniversary of the institution.

Earlier, two separate sessions on Diabetes and Ophthalmology (eye ailments) were conducted during the last day of the week- long programme. Dr Khurram Shahid, Dr Maqsood Burki, Dr Mohammad Hanif Chishti, and Dr Absar Ahmed provided relevant information regarding diabetes.

It was mentioned that the disease was fast spreading and 98 per cent of the diabetics were suffering from Type-B diabetes and that 85 per cent of diabetics have to be necessarily put on insulin after a passage of 10 to 15 years. Experts said that regular physical exercise could help controlling blood sugar level.

Discussing co-relation between diabetes and eye diseases, the speakers said 50 per cent of diabetics got inflicted with eye complications and in certain conditions it could also lead to complete blindness.

All diabetics were strongly advised to get themselves properly examined once a month. Medical experts said that insulin did not cast any negative effect on the patient. - APP