Daily Times

LAHORE: Aimed at spreading greater awareness of diseases among people, the book Sehat Taleem Se – prepared by doctors of Mayo Hospital – will be available in the market within two days.

The Young Doctors Association (YDA) is launching the book to educate the people and schoolchildren on 36 infectious diseases, including dengue, measles, chicken pox, swine flu, malaria, hepatitis, gastro, Zika virus and others.

YDA General Secretary Dr Salman Kazmi told Daily Times that it was a difficult task to complete a book containing information about different diseases. He said that the book prior to its launch got recognition not only from the Punjab and Sindh governments but also from the Chief of Army Staff Secretariat

He said that copies of the book had been presented in the Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court. The Primary Healthcare Department, he said, had also recommended introduction the book in the curriculum.

“The Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB) has also recommended adding the book to the curriculum of schools from class-V to intermediate level from the next year.

Dr Kazmi appreciated the media for publishing articles in the newspapers in this regard. “In the next two days it will be available for public, and it will definitely help save lives of schoolchildren and public at large.”

He went on to say, “The book, launched by around 20 senior doctors of departments of medicine and paediatrics of the Mayo Hospital, gives details about 36 infectious diseases with pictures, symptoms and precautionary measures.” He said that earlier the government had introduced a 17-page book on dengue fever, “which could not serve the purpose comprehensively”.

But senior doctors took the initiative to help save the lives of innocent citizens, especially children on the special directives of the Punjab government and the Health Department, and prepared a 43-page book on infectious diseases with pictures and preventive measures.

“Those doctors who contributed to this noble cause include Dr Umair Ashfaq, Dr Farhat Abbas, Dr Zameer Mir, Dr Bilal Mehmood, Dr Sarwat Saif, Dr Soaid Zyed, Dr Muhammad Takki, Dr Asad Raza, Dr Sheraz Saddiq and others of medicine and paediatrics department of the Mayo Hospital,” he said.

Keeping in view the fact that in the last four years, 150 people had died of dengue, 230 newborns of measles, 45 children of diphtheria and 10 of Congo fever, this book had been specially launched by Mayo Hospital doctors to address the menace of infectious diseases.

“The book will help save thousands of lives in future by educating the public and school going children about deadly infectious diseases,” he concluded.

It may be mentioned that two diseases – chicken pox and Zika virus, have also been made part of the book in addition to 34 other diseases.