Around 11.4 percent of Sri Lanka's total population suffer from diabetes, while 15 to 20 percent of urban people too suffer from diabetes. The main challenges currently faced by Sri Lanka is Non Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Health Services Director General Dr. Palitha Mahipala said.
He said so addressing the media in Colombo yesterday. He said that 15 to 20 percent of meals offered for in-house patients receiving treatment in state hospitals are 'diabetic diets'. The best way of preventing, controlling and beating diabetes is by keeping the Body Mass Index at the correct level.
According to Dr. Mahipala, the Government has already set up over 800 Healthy Life centres countrywide for the use of healthy and normal people to get their body checked for NCDs and also protect themselves from NCDs. The Government has developed laboratories at a cost of Rs. 600 million and Rs. 45 billion allocated this year for the purchase of drugs.
Dr. Mahipala pointed out that during the festive season the public should pay special attention towards healthy food habits, while taking fruits, vegetables, etc as gifts instead of cakes and sweetmeats.
Special attention should also be paid when handling fire crackers. No driver should drive under the influence of liquor. Daily eight people are killed due to road accidents.
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