Parenting in the 21st century comes with great challenges and one way to success is to motivate your children to do what they love doing most, this is what Mr Ashraf Motala, a health professional said during an interview on Radio –Al Ansaar’s 90 Minutes talk show this week. He said that young people need to be motivated and that parents must develop a meaningful relationship with their children to enable them to make the best choices in life. “Our kids are our friends. The discipline and love is there. But we have to expose them to the outside world. We need to guide them from a distance. In our day, our parents were strict, rigid and authoritarian. That does not work these days and nor will it in the future.
School in Leopold Street before enrolling at Orient High where he spent a year. He moved next door to the then Gandhi Desai because it offered science subjects. He said that he had a flair for science subjects and felt that he would be able to have a wider choice of career options. “I am half a business man and half a pharmacist and I have been able to combine both into a successful career which I find rewarding, valuable and it gives me a space which I find engaging,” said Mr Motala.His pharmacy is unlike any other in the Grey Street Complex, for apart from serving a very broad spectrum of customers; rural communities from outside the city come to his establishment for medication for their life stock. “We have a trained staff to deal with queries and here too, we use technology and ask our customers to send us photographs, video clips and we have consultations and while the process might be time consuming, we get the results.
Asked if he were given the opportunity to be the Minister of Health for one day, what would be his priority, he said in a flash, “To get the vital machinery in Public Hospitals working again.” He explained that there were many essentials machines, which had broken down, and are not longer in use because the authorities do not have the funds to get the equipment repaired. “Some of those machines are vital and without that treatment, it could be detrimental and fatal for certain patients. I would want to get those vital, life-saving treatment facilities working again. Also I would like to see the public health system being effective. I served as an intern at King Edward V111 Hospital and know the suffering of the so-called previously disadvantaged people. The system needs to be upgraded and made to work.
and my staff and I face this challenging situation daily. But I “I see it every day in my own business, daily we get people coming in and most of them are suffering from HIV/Aids. At times it is the father, or mother or even both of them. Sadly, at times even the children. As a pharmaceutical service we counsel them, dispense them the medication they need and educate them about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But still we have a huge problem believe that we are slowly getting on top of this pandemic. People are more educated about their status, responding in a positive way when it comes to lifestyles, the kind of diet they are now adopting and taking their medication regularly. I believe that one day we will get there,” said Mr Motala.Looking at the future, he said that young people are looking at the country and trying to establish whether their aspirations can be met. They want to remain in this beautiful country and they want to be meaningfully employed. If the crime situation and economy does not allow them, they will seek opportunities abroad. Education has a lot to do with it. No matter who we are or where we come from. For anyone to have a bright future, study is the key element. This is the springboard to a successful future,” he said.
Farook Khan – Radio Al-Ansar,
“90 Minutes” Friday 9 February 2018“