Kashmir’s Health Dilemma: Prioritizing Public Health
By Aubaid Ahmad Akhoon
Kashmir finds itself in a perplexing situation where traditional foods like eggs, milk, and poultry are met with skepticism and debate, while cigarettes and alcohol continue to be widely accepted, familiar, and profitable.
The harmful effects of tobacco leading to lung, throat, and oral cancers, as well as alcohol causing damage to livers, hearts, and families, are well-documented. Yet, these products are readily available in stores, with advertisements often skirting regulations.
On the other hand, concerns about contamination, artificial feed, and hygiene surround eggs, milk, and chicken, leading to societal debates on their consumption while turning a blind eye to the dangers posed by cigarettes and alcohol.
This discrepancy highlights a deeper issue in public health, emphasizing the need for ethical considerations beyond mere regulations.
While cigarettes and alcohol are extensively studied public health hazards, they face less scrutiny compared to street vendors selling essential food items like eggs and milk.
This paradox serves the convenience of addiction-driven revenue, profit from diseases, and the protection of commercial interests, diverting attention from the actual health risks posed by continuous inhalation and consumption.
In the past, Kashmir embraced a more natural way of life, with households raising poultry and consuming fresh eggs and chemical-free meat. These foods offer essential nutrition and support overall health when handled properly.
Despite their affordability and nutritional value, eggs, milk, and chicken are subjected to unwarranted suspicion, while harmful substances like cigarettes and alcohol evade public outrage, indicating a misalignment in health priorities.
While efforts exist in poultry and food safety regulations, the results often feel symbolic, with farms struggling to meet local demand and enforcement against unhygienic practices occurring only reactively.
Public health necessitates consistent oversight and commitment rather than sporadic actions to address concerns surrounding the adulteration and lack of testing facilities in essential food items like milk.
Additionally, healthcare practices, including the misuse of health insurance benefits and unethical medical procedures, highlight the need for stringent monitoring and accountability in the medical field.
Pharmaceutical incentives driving overmedication and poor guidance further emphasize the importance of regulating medical practices to avoid exploitation.
It is imperative for Kashmir to realign its health priorities by focusing on regulating and ensuring transparency in the production of essential food items like eggs, milk, and poultry, while also addressing the prevalence of harmful substances like cigarettes and alcohol.
By prioritizing public health over profit-driven motives and unethical practices, Kashmir can safeguard its population from the true threats posed by addiction, disease, and unethical medical procedures.
- The author is a coach, editor, and educator based in Kashmir. He can be reached at aubaid@domain.com.
