KARACHI - The World Health Day was observed on Saturday to create awareness in the public about the various health issues under the slogan Health for All on Saturday. To mark the day in port city various programmes were held including walks and conferences in which the speakers highlighted various issues stressing on government to play its role as the people were being pushed towards poverty by paying huge cost for their health care while large region in the province still deprived of basic health facilities. 

In a message on the occasion of World Health Day, Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair vowed to improve health measures and other basic facilities to ensure the better quality of life of the people in the society. He said that the provision of health facilities to the people is the topmost priority of his government. The federal government had fulfilled its responsibility of providing maximum health facilities to the people of Sindh province by distributing healthcare cards, he said.  

 

The governor said that the government had also established modern facilities in the hospitals to provide better care to common public. 

He said that the historic initiative had been taken by the government to support the poor population of the province so as to ensure their access the entire range of free healthcare facilities from the hospitals under Prime Minister's Health Card Scheme. 

He further said that the joint efforts with the World Health Organization were being continued to overcome fatal diseases like polio, and soon Pakistan would be declared a polio-free country. 

Hamdard Foundation Pakistan observed World Health Day by holding 27th International Children Health Conference at a local hotel. 

Prof Attaur Rehman who was the chief guest of the event sharing his views said that the real wealth of a country is human resources and those counties that are investing in human resource, education, science, and technology are making rapid progress. 

Knowledge-based economy is the answer of all socio economic illness and health is also attached to the economic condition. Herbal have treasures of cure and heir compounds are equally useful in treatment. 

Hakim Mohammad said many countries China, Korea and particularly Singapore which had a population only five million with no natural resources, but since it invested in education and innovation it exports worth dollar 518 billion whereas Pakistan was dollar 23 billion. 

Dr Mohammad Assai Ardakani in his address said that the WHO was extending cooperation to the government to scale up awareness among health workers. 

He said that the first speaker in the conference mention about Malaria which was less than a threat to Pakistan, because no mother and child have excess to treatment of preventable diseases like Malaria. To remove this situation it was necessary helping each other to stay healthy. 

Worth mentioning here that Sindh province since long facing a lot of health problems. In various regions of the province lots of ailments still needs to be addressed immediately with a plan to halt the menace of disease that includes children health problems, maternity health problems, hepatitis, dengue and others. 

Health experts said, in Sindh numbers of children were prey to many diseases due to none availability of proper vaccination. 

Furthermore Sindh government also seems helpless in treating the hepatitis patients whereas rapid growth of this disease in near future might turned into a great health hazard for the people of Sindh. 

Similarly, the health facilities concerning pregnancy were also too low in the province which is the main reason that the women especially of rural part of Sindh facing serious problems during pregnancies. 

On the other hand each year numbers of the people in Sindh also became victim of dengue diseases. To combat this menace government has established centers in major cities including Karachi and Hyderabad but rural region people were still facing problems as it is difficult for the poor to reach big cities for treatment. 

Meanwhile, Pasban Chief Altaf Shakoor on the occasion of the World Health Day has said that dismal healthcare in Pakistan is the result of the negligence of rulers towards their constitutional responsibilities while rising disease burden in the country and shrinking medical care facilities for the poor in our country is a matter of grave concern. 

He said the concern shown by the water commission over water supply and sewerage disposal facilities in Sindh should have been eye-opener for the rulers. He said the municipal and industries filth is being directly discharged into our sea, rivers, lakes and canals. Resultantly, the waterborne diseases are on a constant rise. 

He said the situation regarding the spread of hepatitis in our country is alarming and the main reason is again the contaminated drinking water. 

He said situation of healthcare in rural areas of Sindh is just pathetic, where a large number of children have already been dying due to malnutrition, stunt grown and lack of facilities in government healthcares. 

He said the World Health Organization stresses the need that all people should be able to realise their right to the highest possible level of health. He said; however, in Pakistan the dream of health for all is still a distant dream. 

Quoting a recent article of Dr Shahida Wazarat, he said unchecked introduction of genetically-controlled seeds in Pakistan, especially Baluchistan is not only a food security threat but also a source of spreading certain cancers.