Huge resources are being spent on the rapid development of the province, promotion of quality education, elimination of ignorance and unemployment as well as provision of prompt and inexpensive justice to the masses, said Punjab Minister for Law, Excise, Taxation and Finance Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman while talking to a delegation of doctors and party workers on Monday.
Shuja stressed upon the doctors community for launching massive awareness campaign for sensitising the people about hazardous aspects of smoking with a view to prevent TB, heart, lungs, bronchitis and various types of lungs cancer. He said that it is high time for promoting social mobilisation against smoking, TB and cancer. He said that billions of rupees are being wasted on smoking annually which is major cause of spread of life-threatening diseases like TB, lungs cancer and even cardiovascular diseases as well as other chest diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases which is the 4th main cause of deaths in the world and 600 million people are victims of this disease in the world, whereas, according to WHO 3 million people die each year in the world due to these complications.
He said that the government is spending resources to upgrade the treatment facilities of chronic and fatal diseases. He said that by increasing the health budget, the present government has ensured modern health facilities and free medicines to poor and resource-less people. He said that special attention is being paid to the provision of best treatment facilities to the people of far-flung areas especially remote areas of South Punjab and Rs 1 billion has been provided for mobile health units.