Info drive on lifestyle diseases

 HOSPITAL Poroman Foundation began its first health awareness for the year on lifestyle diseases by trying to educate leaders and public servants on checking their medical status at Parliament Haus yesterday.

It was a free service.

Chairperson of the foundation Janet Sios said the Parliament programme was the third such awareness  carried out under the theme healthy leader, healthy nation. 

The first one was done at Kokopo Market in 2012 and the second at the National Research Institute in Port Moresby in 2013.

Most of the participants were high-risk or likely to suffer from lifestyle diseases such as diabetes due to the life they led. They were referred to local health centres for further medical checks.

“We are targeting our leaders not only because we believe we can become partners in health awareness programmes but to complement and contribute to promote a healthy human resource in our leaders,” Sios said.

She said the charity organisation was privileged to get approval from the Speaker’s office to conduct a three-day health awareness programme to make the leaders aware of “silent killers”.

The health awareness presentation on lifestyle disease was done by Dr Arnold Waine, a senior lecturer in surgery at the PNG University School of Medical and Health Sciences. 

That will be followed by free medical check-ups today and tomorrow by volunteer nurses and doctors from 1.30pm to 3.30pm.

“Individual medical reports will be issued once the check-up is completed, depending on your health status. The foundation is implementing one of its two main objectives – carry out awareness on lifestyle disease and raise funds to support hospitals in PNG,” Sios said.