Dow University of Health Sciences Vice Chancellor Professor Muhammad Saeed Qureshi has said that one-third of Pakistan’s population is affected by diabetes. What is more serious is that the number of sufferers is continuously increasing, which needs to be stopped.
An awareness seminar was organized on World Diabetes Day by the National Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology (NIDE) at Dow University of Health Sciences Ojha Campus.
The event was attended by the chief guest Vice Chancellor Professor Muhammad Saeed Qureshi, Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Jahan Ara Hassan, Principal Dow International Medical College Professor Muhammad Iftikhar, Professor Masrat Riaz, Director NIDE, Dr. Hassan Khan, Dr. Farid, and nutritionist Miss Tehmina.
A large number of faculty, staff and students attended the awareness seminar.
Addressing the seminar, Pro Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Jahan Ara Hassan appreciated the efforts of doctors and medical staff to create awareness among the public about diabetes and termed it as a collective effort for diabetes control.
He said that collective as well as individual efforts are needed to control diabetes. Eat a balanced diet, walk so that sugar can be controlled.
He suggested to the doctors that awareness efforts regarding diabetes should be spread to different communities and sessions should be organized.
Principal Dow International Medical College Prof. Muhammad Iftikhar spoke about eating sweets at every opportunity and adopting a healthy lifestyle.
He said that we are not obese, our diet is normal, we also exercise, but we are still at risk of diabetes, so we have to be very careful.
He added that we are a nation in which sweets are included in food everywhere from the birth of a child to his death. There are sweet shops everywhere in the city, not only this, thousands of boxes come from Islamabad and Lahore. We have to change this culture, if you want to express love, then give chocolate, it is considered very important.
He said that as an effort to adopt a healthy lifestyle, fruits are now served in various meetings at Dow University instead of cakes, samosas, fast food.
He emphasized that food, sweets, fast food are not the only way to express love in relationships.
Director NIDE Professor Dr. Musrat Riaz said in his address to the awareness seminar that diabetes has spread very rapidly in Pakistan and now it is very important to control it.
He said that the awareness walk was also organized on the occasion of World Diabetes Day because a large section of the public does not walk and is unaware of its important role in controlling diabetes.
He said that most people affected by diabetes are unaware of their disease and only after various medical complications arise do they realize that they are diabetic, so there is a dire need for awareness and control in this regard because controlled sugar is linked to your better health.
Later, addressing the seminar, Dr. Hassan Khan said that if you eat rice, do not boil it and add water, eat too much potatoes, these are the things that increase sugar. It is very important to be careful in eating and drinking, along with doing light exercise.
He said that if you are not in the habit, then participate in some activity.
Dr. Farid said that we are repeatedly talking about controlling sugar so that complications can be avoided in the beginning and heart disease or other diseases do not occur.
Nutritionist Miss Tehmina said that it is a wrong concept that fruits should be eaten with food, fruits should be consumed two hours after eating because they increase sugar levels when mixed with carbohydrates.
He said that all the members of the family should eat raw vegetables or make their salad and live their life according to discipline, make eating at mealtimes, sleeping well at bedtime and exercising a part of their routine.
Earlier, an awareness walk was organized on World Diabetes Day at Dow University Ojha Campus. The walk started from the Trauma Center of Dow Hospital and ended at NIDE.
