BANGKOK, 14 July 2011 – The Ministry of Public Health has encouraged Thai people to take care of their health and do good deeds upon the upcoming three-month Buddhist Lent for the sake of their health and as tributes to His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
According to Permanent Secretary for Public Health Medical Doctor Paijit Warachit, the ministry has printed out three million cards containing a code of health conduct for Thai people, to be distributed via public health offices and village health volunteers nationwide.
Upon receiving the cards, people are urged to choose at least one of the nine health suggestions and practice the selected choice(s) throughout the Buddhist Lent from 16 July to 12 October 2011. The campaingn is intended to encourage people to take care of their health and do good deeds for HM the King upon his 84th birthday anniversary.
The nine suggestions are somewhat like proposed public resolutions during the Lent period, namely to lose weight, to exercise regularly, to eat vegetables and fruits in all meals, to eat brown rice in all meals, to reduce excessive tastes, to eat vegetarian food every Buddhist holy days, to drink water instead of soft drinks, to refrain from alcohol and tobacco as well as to pray.
The project aims to urge people to take care of their health and to control five major non-communicable diseases namely diabetes, hypertension, strokes, Ischemic heart disease and cancer. The number of patients admitted into hospital due to the five diseases is increasing to more than 1.3 million annually while the country has to lose 52.15 billion baht a year in Gross Domestic Product.
