Shifa International Hospital organized a seminar and free medical camp in collaboration with the National Press Club (NPC) on Wednesday to commemorate World Health Day. Addressing on this occasion Dr Abdus Salam Khan Director Emergency Medicine Program at Shifa International Hospital said that a safe and nutritious food supply is essential for good health.
Unsafe food can lead to a range of health problems, with new threats to food safety which are constantly emerging. Food that contains harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemical substances is responsible for more than 200 diseases, both acute and chronic, ranging from diarrhea to cancers", he added.
This year's theme was 'How safe is your food?' Around 200 journalists and their family members got free screening and medical advice. Director Emergency Medicine & Consultant Internal Medicine SIH Dr Abdus Salam and medical officers checked all visitors and gave them medical advice.
Associate Consultant SIH Dr Reshma Aziz also provided breast cancer screening and self-assessment training to female visitors.
President Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Afzal Butt inaugurated the medical camp by having his tests performed at the camp. He also interacted with the doctors and medical staff of SIH and appreciated Shifa for arranging an informative session and medical camp to promote prevention and healthy living.
He said that as our food supply becomes increasingly globalized, the need to strengthen food safety systems in and between all countries is becoming more and more evident. That is why this year we are promoting efforts to improve food safety, from farm to plate (and everywhere in between) on World Health Day, 7 April 2015, he said.
Dr Abdus Salam said that Food safety is a shared responsibility. It is important to work all along the food production chain, from farmers and manufacturers to vendors and consumers.
Afsheen Hassan, Dietitian Shifa International Hospital said that World Health Day is an opportunity to recognise the important food safety role of all involved in food production, and to strengthen collaboration and co-ordination between different areas, to prevent, detect and respond to food borne diseases. Risks to food safety can arise throughout the food chain, which is why many different sectors, health, agriculture, transport, environment, food service and the food industry must collaborate to ensure that the food supply is secure, and the food on our plates is safe.