KARACHI: Underscoring the need for a healthy lifestyle especially to protect the heart, experts at a seminar organised at the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) on Thursday regretted the lack of public spaces for walking, jogging and cycling in the city even in the posh areas of the metropolis.
The seminar was organised by the department of cardiology, Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital, Karachi, part of the DUHS.
“Staying healthy is not our priority but wealth is. Little do we realise that we can’t buy health from money. We, as a nation, have to change this mentality,” said Prof Tariq Farman at the event which was organised in connection with World Hypertension Day.
This year’s theme is Measure your blood pressure accurately, control it and live longer.
No much public spaces for walking, jogging and cycling in city, regrets health experts
Experts described hypertension or high blood pressure as a silent killer as it often had no symptoms.
In Pakistan, they pointed out, around 70 per cent of people were unaware of their disease, which led to heart attacks, strokes or kidney diseases.
DUHS pro vice chancellor Prof Zarnaz Wahid said the rate of high blood pressure in Pakistan was very high. “In some areas of the country, the disease is found in 58 per cent of the population while the ratio of blood pressure control is found to be only three per cent. That’s because people don’t have the facilities to develop healthy habits. Even in the most expensive areas, there is no focus on building jogging tracks. “
A symbolic walk was also held in this regard.
Medical Superintendent of Civil Hospital Prof Akram Sultan, former MSc Dr Noor Mohammad Soomro, Dr Nawaz Lashari, Dr Tariq Farman, Prof Abdul Rasheed spoke while Prof Ishaq’s video message was also delivered in the seminar.
Prof Noor Muhammad Soomro spoke about the up-gradation of Civil Hospital cardiology department and informed the audience that new angiography machines were being bought for the department for which Sindh government had sanctioned Rs1,100 million.
“Old instruments and machines will be made reusable while the angiography ward in the department of cardiology will be made state-of-the-art.”
Medical Superintendent of Civil Hospital Karachi Prof Akram Sultan recalled how he started his career with an internship in the cardiology department of the hospital in 1990.
“Now, I want to improve this department in line with modern techniques and create facilities for heart patients,” he said.
The programme ended with a walk and distribution of shields among speakers.
Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2021