Shifa organizes cancer awareness walk

ISLAMABAD, Shifa International Hospital (SIH) on Tuesday organized a cancer awareness walk in order to mark the last event of its ongoing cancer awareness campaign started from January 22, 2012 with hiking on Trail 3.

Plenty of school children from Tameer-e-Millat School and other schools, civil society representatives, citizens of twin cities, doctors, medical students and cancer patients participated in the walk. The participants were holding placards and banners inscribed with encouraging slogans for cancer patients and awareness quotes.

The walk started from China Chowk, Blue Area and concluded at Parade Ground near Parliament House where Chief Commissioner Islamabad Tariq Pirzada who was the chief guest, President and Chief Executive Officer SIH Dr. Manzoor H. Qazi, Medical Director SIH Dr. Muhammad Salim Khan, Chief Operating Officer SIH Sohail Siddiqi, Head Radiation Oncology Department SIH Dr. Muhammad Ali Afridi and Director Strategic Planning SIH Mahmood Mirza addressed the participants. Many other officials of Shifa were also present at this occasion. Tight security measures were taken by District Administration for this walk.

Tariq Pirzada congratulated Shifa for holding a successful walk to create awareness about cancer and its complications. He extended his full support to Shifa for similar activities saying that the district administration would continue its support and cooperation with Shifa for spreading awareness among the residents of Islamabad and surrounding areas about serious and fatal diseases like cancer.

The chief commissioner was of the view that such events should be organized regularly in order to make people health conscious and promote healthy and simple lifestyle. We can live a better life and save millions of national exchequer only by adopting simple and healthy lifestyle, Pirzada added.

He, on this occasion, informed that the district administration is establishing Speakers Corner in Fatima Jinnah Park, F-9, which would be a facility like London s Hyde Park and everyone would be allowed to express his/her feelings there. He also encouraged doctors and healthcare professionals to utilize Speakers Corner in the future to create awareness about health issues and diseases among masses.

Dr. Manzoor Qazi thanked Tariq Pirzada for his active participation in the cancer walk that is indeed an encouragement for Shifa as well as cancer patients and the citizens. He said cancer is very serious disease but it can be avoided by adopting healthy lifestyle and indulging in physical activities and exercises.

He stressed on the need to quit smoking and use of tobacco that is a root-cause of many types of cancers. Dr. Salim Khan and Dr. Muhammad Ali Afridi told the participants that cancer is 90 percent curable if it is timely diagnosed.

Dr. Khan emphasized on the importance of living simple life, consuming simple and healthy food and doing regular exercise to prevent cancer and many other dreaded diseases.

Dr. Afridi said use of tobacco should be controlled to avoid cancer. Medical officers and general physicians must suggest cancer related tests to patients if they find symptoms related to cancer disease in patients to diagnose it well at initial level.
Later Sohail Siddiqi and Planning Mahmood Mirza thanked the participants especially cancer patients and school children who participated to make the walk a successful event.
They also informed the participants that Shifa will observe World Cancer Day on February 4, 2012 by holding a seminar in the hospital. They also said that prizes and certificates among the participants of Best Story Award and Arts Competition would also be distributed in the seminar.