“Chances of ear, nose and throat (ENT) cancer could be brought down, significantly, by changing people’s lifestyle but social cancers like militancy and arson had to be operated upon,” Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, MP, on Thursday told a gathering of physicians at the Institute of Nuclear Medicine of the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
He further said that if people stopped consuming tobacco, alcohol and spicy food it could reduce the number of cancer fatalities. A number of countries had already done that with great success and he thought it was possible for Bangladesh to do so, also.
Turning to the political scene, he said that the struggle against extremism, militancy and communal forces was a long and arduous one and that he expected the support of doctors in this battle.
“There is no way we could co-exist,” he said. “Either it is they or we who survive,” he said.
He once again emphasized that in the country created through the huge sacrifice of millions the forces of the Liberation War would prevail.
Referring to the country’s health infrastructure, the information minister said currently 30 lakh people were receiving medicare every day, while seven thousand people were operated upon, daily. The minister felt that it was a huge achievement of the incumbent government.
However, he felt, that people expected world class treatment. “It too should be possible, in future, particularly if the society is peaceful and free of militancy and arson,” he said.
The minister was in favor of upgrading the radiotherapy system here and an increased awareness of the health risks of people’s lifestyle.
Others who spoke at the meeting included Dr Kamrul Hasan Khan, Vice-Chancellor of BSMMU and other academics from relevant departments.
