Nurses stage protest against NCDs
Nadira Gunatilleke
Over 500 nurses attached to state hospitals staged a protest against
Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs) recently. NCDs are on the rise in Sri
Lanka since the recent past and an alarming increase in NCDs among Sri
Lankans has been detected by health authorities, a Health Ministry
spokesman said.
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Nurses carrying placards during the protest. |
According to the spokesman over 160,000 patients are admitted to
state hospitals to obtain medical treatment for NCDs annually and
monthly over 10,000 patients die in Sri Lanka from NCDs. Daily around
350 die from NCDs. Annually 130,000 patients die in the country from
NCDs and related health issues.
The number of deaths that occur daily due to heart attacks is 150 and
another 40 die from strokes. The number of deaths that occur at homes
daily from NCDs is unknown.
The government annually spends over Rs. 400 m to treat patients with
NCDs. President has already allocated Rs. 900 million for this purpose
according to a request made by Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena. The
funds are to be utilized during next three years, the spokesman said.
The main causes for the rapid increase of NCDs is excessive intake of
food with a lot of sugar, fat and flour. The other main causes are lack
of exercises, stress, pollution, urbanization and unhealthy health
habits.
NCDs can be reduced by cutting down food on sugar, fat and flour and
leading a stress free active life, he added.
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