Under the auspices of the Regional Executive Director Dr. Ahmad Al Arfaj, National Guard Health Affairs - the Eastern Region has organized the activities of World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) through variety of activities that included awareness exhibitions in cooperation with charitable anti-smoking association such as "Purity" and "Hayat". This awareness campaign has attracted a large number of audience and they were highly involved in all of the hosted events.
Furthermore, an integrated program was set up in this awareness day to promote smoking related health problems, as well as a speech given by the Deputy Regional operation Director in al-Ahsa, Dr. Hayaf Al Amri in which he welcomed the attendees and thanked both the Internal Audit Department and the Organizational Performance Development for their tremendous efforts in making this campaign a success.
Mr. Abdulmohsen Al Ashry, Executive Director of Internal Audit and Organizational Development Division in NGHA explained that these events are being held to appreciate and value the efforts of National Guard Health Affairs to fight the smoking epidemic since it announced the smoke free environment in all NGHA premises and sites to put an end to this threatening danger.
This day’s events targeted visitors, staff and employees through an exhibition that included clinics for testing the carbon monoxide levels in the breath of smokers, those tests detected a number of alarming cases of smokers who are likely to suffer from health setbacks. The event also included medical lectures given by consultants and specialists in different specialties who covered the effects of smoking on the heart and the respiratory system, and its impact on pregnant women, as well as the religious concepts towards smoking and how to control and stop it.
Furthermore, This awareness day’s exhibit included many corners such as "Dangers of Smoking" where samples of withdrawn tar from a smoker were displayed, a poster of a heart and lungs composed of more than 570 cigarettes which were given up voluntarily by smokers has also attracted the attention of the audience in addition to two clinics to detect carbon monoxide levels in the breath of smokers.
The National Guard Health Affairs through the Internal Audit Department and Organizational Performance Development adopted the idea of reducing smoking where strict penalties were enacted on smokers within the hospitals and their affiliates after an effective campaign followed by the announcement of the smoke free environment in National Guard Health Affairs hospitals.