Heart Fair opens in city today

By Waqar Gillani

LAHORE: A two-day Heart Fair for women and families, organised by the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) on the eve of World Heart Day, will open on Saturday (today) at Racecourse Park in Lahore.

Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi will open the fair which aims at public awareness on heart diseases on the World Heart Day celebrated throughout the world in the last week of September. The theme for this year’s day is Women and Heart Diseases.

The PIC administration believes that the fair will educate people about increasing heart diseases and their preventive measures, particularly in women because the risk of heart diseases among women is growing fast.

Organisers of the fair Dr Ahmad Shahbaz and Dr Majid told Daily Times on Friday that the PIC had set up around 50 stalls for advice and free screening, free checkup, entrainment for children besides food, medicines and a variety of other camps. Dr Majid said musical evenings on both days (Saturday and Sunday) for women and families would be part of the fair’s programmes. The singers will include String Fellows, Saleem Kamran, Rafaqat Ali Khan, Tariq Jackson, Ehsas Group, Malko and others. A theme song has also been written for the occasion. A walk from the PIC to Shadman Chowk has been arranged for the second day of the fair.

The awareness sessions will be held for the general public in which free advice will be given. People will be informed about the symptoms of heart diseases, preventive measures and relevant topics. PIC-sponsored doctors and specialists will be available for free consultation at these camps during the fair. Pharmaceutical companies will also set up stalls for checkup of blood pressure and the cholesterol level of patients who will also be provided free medicines. Dr Majid said the PIC had also set up a camp where video films would be shown on heart surgery and angiographies.

Cardiologists, he added, will highlight risks of cardiovascular diseases among women. Doctors have demanded the government make policies to reduce causes which could lead to fatal diseases.

Doctors recommend at least 30 minutes of exercise every day and advice to stay away from fats and prefer fruits and vegetables, saying goodbye to smoking. The Pakistan chapter of the World Heart Federation (WHF) has advised people to change their lifestyles and eating habits if necessary to protect themselves from heart disease. The federation has set up a free screening camp at Gulab Devi Hospital. The national chapter of the federation has organised a public seminar in Peshawar on Sunday (tomorrow).

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