Minister for Health Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mr. Shahram Khan Tarakai has said that establishment of an independent monitoring unit is the top most priority of health department to ensure cheek and balance as well as the concept of award and punishment for all cadres of employees, he was talking as chief guest to one day symposium on world Heart Day at Auditorium LRH, Peshawar, Secretary Health KP Dr. Aftab Akbar Durrani, Prof. Sheryar A. Shaikh President World Heart Federation and Vice chancellor KMU, Head Department of Cardiology LRH and President Pakistan Cardiac Society were also present at the occasion.
A large number of doctors, students of various medical colleges, nurses and paramedics attended the symposium. The theme of the symposium was Heart Choices-Not-Hard Choices.
Mr. Shahram Khan Tarakai while highlighted the achievements of Health Department has said that the present government is not only very keen to provide better health services to the people of the province on their door step but is also committed to ensure accountability at all levels.
He added that we at Health Department is working on an agenda of change and the people of the province will soon feel a real change in all fields especially in the health sector.
He said a reform agenda is on the table and we are focusing to reduce the patient load at all the three tertiary care hospitals of the metropolitan city of Peshawar. Providing better and quality health services to all the poor and needy people of the province is our main goal, he said.
Mr. Sharam Khan reveled that monitoring unit will be set up in the upcoming days in the Health Department to make all the staff accountable to the public and to monitor their work. A culture of reward and punishment will be introduced under the proposed monitoring unit, he added.
Earlier, while talking about the importance of prevention of Cardiac Vascular Diseases Prof. Dr. Mohammad Hafizullah said that the ratio of death from cardiac arrest could be minimize through preventive measures. He elaborated that Hypertension, Diabetes, Hyperlipidemia, Smoking, Obesity, Alcohol, Physical inactivity and Stress are the most common causes of hearth diseases which can be avoided through balance diet, regular exercise and regular medical checkup. Prof. Dr. Hafiz ullah said that by adopting preventive measures three million deaths from heart diseases can be protected every year.
He said prevention is the best and only way to control the rising death tool due to hearth diseases. He suggested that a full fledge public awareness campaign is under way under the banner of Pakistan Cardiac Society throughout the country and we hereby requested health Department to take some steps like introducing awareness campaign for the consumption of the general public and to introduce Preventive Cardiology at various levels. Secretary Health Dr. Aftab Akbar Durrani, Prof. Shehryar A. Shaikh, Dean PGMI Prof. Dr. Riaz Anwar and Chief Executive LRH Prof. Muzaffar Uddin Sadiq also spoke to the function.
At the end Health Minister inaugurated Preventive Cardiology Unit at Cardiology Department of LRH.
