ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Advisor to Prime Minister on National History and Literary Heritage Irfan Siddiqui on Tuesday stressed the need for creating awareness regarding hazards of tobacco among the people.
He was addressing a function organized by Oncology Department of Atomic Energy Cancer Hospital (NORI) in connection with “World No Tobacco Day”.
“World No Tobacco Day” is observed with an objective to create awareness among the people about the diseases caused by the use of tobacco, he said.
However, he said there is a need to devise proper long term plan for creating awareness about health hazards due to use of tobacco among the people.
By creating awareness on media, number of patients due to use of tobacco can be decreased, he said.
Irfan Siddiqui expressed his satisfaction over the functioning of 18 cancer hospitals being run by the Atomic Energy Commission for providing treatment to about 80 per cent patients free of cost.
He lauded the role of NORI hospital’s management for establishing well equipped cancer hospitals in various cities of the country.
Advisor to Prime Minister also appreciated efforts of Zamurd Khan for completing Pakistan Sweet Home Project and said that the government doubled the grant for Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) aimed at providing financial support to poor families.
“World No Tobacco Day” is being observed in all the eighteen cancer hospitals of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission aimed at creating awareness among the society about hazards of tobacco, the Director NORI said while speaking at the occasion.
It is mission of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission to eliminate this disease (cancer) from the society and all possible efforts are being made in this regard by the NORI, the Director mentioned.
Chairman Green Task Force Dr. Nasir Jamal, Member Science Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission S.M. Javed Akhtar, Zamurd Khan, Director Medical Sciences of NORI Dr. Fiyyaz Ahmad also attended the ceremony.
On the occasion, presentation was also organized with the help of short documentary on the hazards of smoking tobacco.
