Chowrangi

A good diet and exercise are commonly associated with good health. However, drinking water is just as important, if not more. Around eight glasses a day is suggested. Just as a bath is compulsory to clean the body, drinking water is necessary to clean the inner organs and cells from toxic materials.

Not drinking enough water puts a lot of pressure on the liver. A person can end up with very serious problems. It takes a lot less effort to drink water at regular intervals than to deal with liver problems.

In May 2006, the Drug Registration Board of Pakistan has banned metamizole, a painkiller known by its brand name ‘Novalgin’ or ‘Bascopan’, due to its injurious side effects.

Developed countries like USA, UK, Norway, Singapore, Australia and Sweden have reportedly banned metamizole, manufactured by multinational company Aventis, a long time ago on the same grounds. Manufacturers and distributors were bound to report to the Health Ministry that they had destroyed stocks of the banned stuff. It has been 3 years since the decision has been taken to ban the drug but it is still available in the market and being continually manufactured by pharmaceutical companies of less repute.

Machar Colony is one of the neighborhoods of Kemari Town in Karachi. Its total population is estimated to be over 700,000 people, majority of them being children between ages 5–15. This is an important figure, and has to be seen in conjunction with the fact that Machar Colony is also amongst the biggest (maybe the biggest) of Karachi’s over 550 katchi abadis. Machar Colony spans an area of four Sq. km.

Most people in the Colony are employed as shrimp peelers, fishermen, fish cleaners, or laborers in the ship breaking industry. They all belong to lower middle class having insufficient health and education facilities. Many illegal immigrants live here belonging to various ethnic groups. Poor sanitation, unhygienic water supply and absence of natural gas in the area are common problems.

Muhammad (May Allah’s blessings be upon him) was a fountain of knowledge. He was the means through which Allah revealed the Holy Book, Al-Qur’an Al-Majeed, to the world.

Allah (SWT) revealed many wonders/miracles through the Prophet (May Allah’s blessings be upon him). This is a further proof of the prophet hood of RasulAllah (May Allah’s blessings b upon him).

It is well known that whatever scientific knowledge Muhammad (May Allah’s blessings be upon him) imparted to us (with the Help of Allah (SWT)) was unknown in his time. It was, in fact, many years later that extensive scientific research verified the truth of it. All rulings in Islam have come to us from our Sustainer (SWT), therefore there can be no error in them.

Even though the primary purpose of Ramadan is the achievement of Taqwa yet one cannot deny the various medical benefits it holds.

The Prophet (may God send His blessing and peace upon him) said, “A strong believer is better and is more beloved to God than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone.” (Muslim)

In 1994 the first International Conference on ‘Health and Fasting’ took place in Casablanca, where Muslims and non-Muslims medical experts were unanimously agreed that fasting holds a lot of medical benefits.

Here I will number some of the benefits:

According to latest appeal from UN and WHO, extra funding is urgently needed to strengthen disease control efforts, re-stock rapidly declining supplies of essential drugs and improve access to reproductive health services in north-western Pakistan.

WHO again warned that the agency could run out of supplies of some key drugs within two or three weeks due to lack of funds. It is vital to reinforce existing support structures and therefore to increase the number of health-care and other workers who can help the displaced, particularly women. Over 90 percent of displaced women from Swat and nearby districts and towns are illiterate. Language is yet another barrier for them to communicate their health problems to non-Pashtu speaking visiting doctors or medical practitioners.Ethnic Pashtun women prefer not to be treated by male doctors or medical staff and provision of female staff who can understand the local language is a challenge.

An anti-smoking media campaign has been promulgating in the country to discourage smoking in public places by health ministry and Government of Pakistan. People have been urged to help ensure the implementation which includes measures to stop people from smoking at public places. The advertisement in leading newspapers today includes guide lines about the new health instruction to be printed on cigarette cases.

Several local and international websites, seeking relief goods, included infant milk formula as a requirement for IDPs displaced by the conflict between militants and government forces in northwestern Pakistan. It has been vital to note that Infant milk formula, when mixed with unsafe water, can cause diarrhea in infants.

Some formula infant milk has reached IDPs donated by private organizations and groups who rushed to help when the displacements began in early May. There has been concern about donations of the baby milk by companies. According to an Islamabad-based NGO the Network for Consumer Protection (The Network):

World Blood Donor Day is observed on June 14 every year to encourage the concept of voluntary blood donation and at a time when voluntary blood banks have been playing a stellar role, the occasion would also provide an opportunity for raising the awareness levels about blood donation. The overwhelming majority of the world’s population does not have access to safe blood. Over 80 million units of blood are donated every year, but only 38% are collected in developing countries where 82% of the global population lives.

After E mail and E commerce the next big E thing is probably the E cigarette. An electronic cigarette or “e-cigarette” is an alternative to smoked tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, or pipes. It is a battery-powered device that provides inhaled doses of nicotine by delivering a vaporized propylene glycol/nicotine solution. In addition to nicotine delivery, this vapor also provides a flavor and physical sensation similar to that of inhaled tobacco smoke, while no tobacco, smoke, or combustion is actually involved in its operation.