Bandar Seri Begawan - Patients who do not follow the instruction on the intake of medication will not only possibly worsen the condition of the disease or treatment, but also lead to wastage in terms of the government's pharmaceutical expenditure.

The Government of His Majesty, through the Ministry of Health, has spent hundreds of millions in providing proper healthcare services in the country, including pharmaceutical expenditure, which from April 2012 to end of January 2013, has cost the government around $52.5 million.

Hence, the Minister of Health, Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Mohd Yusof, yesterday urged patients to comply with the instructions and doctors' advice, especially in the intake of medicine, in order to maximise the treatment results.

Pehin Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Adanan raised the following issue during the healthy lifestyle programme 2013, held in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of Sengkurong Silver Jubilee Health Centre yesterday at Mukim Sengkurong .

The minister also revealed that chronic diseases have been the main causes of death in the country, with 691 cases or 56 per cent overall death recorded in year 2011.

Among the factors contributing to chronic diseases, he said, "is the fact that the people are not practising a healthy lifestyle, especially in food intake - taking imbalanced diet with high sugar, fats and salt, as well as not engaging in physical activities, which then lead to overweight and obesity. Smoking also plays a role in such outcome.

"If we continue with the unhealthy lifestyle and do not take any precautionary measures, sooner or later, it will lead to breathing problems, hypertension, diabetes and other serious diseases such as heart, stroke and kidney diseases," he warned.

In more serious cases, he stressed, "The chronic diseases can even lead to loss of eyesight or amputation."

In practising a healthy lifestyle, the minister stated, "It is very important to ensure that we always maintain ourselves in a healthy, energetic and productive state; allowing each individual, family and community to carry out daily activities to guarantee a quality and prosperous life, as well as to contribute to the nation's social economic development."

Meanwhile, Pehin Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Adanan also lauded the ministry's approach to strengthening the quality of healthcare in the country by prioritising 'prevention is better than cure', which at the same time is cost-effective.

The minister, expressing his opinion on healthcare, said, "In my point of view, the responsibilities of healthcare do not only lie solely on the shoulder of the Ministry of Health, but also each individual in all levels of the community. This is because each individual can decide for themselves, either to practise a healthy lifestyle or otherwise."

During the event, the minister also presented awards to the exemplary healthy senior citizen, as well as appointment letters for the committee in promoting and practising healthy lifestyle for Mukim Sengkurong 2013- 2015.

Also present were Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Yusoff bin Haji Ismail, the Deputy Minister of Education and Legislative Council member with senior officers from the ministry.