RAWALPINDI: Dr Jamal Nasir, the Punjab caretaker minister for Health, announced on Monday that from the following week, hospitals in Rawalpindi will offer free thalassemia screenings and tests for children.
At a gathering held by the Thalassemia Welfare Society in honour of “World Thalassemia Day,” Dr. Jamal Nasir made this statement as a special guest speaker. The day is observed on May 8 to increase awareness of thalassemia around the world, the caretaker health minister added.
Dr Jamal Nasir stated that in addition to offering free diagnosis services, vaccination and treatment will also be guaranteed.
In addition to offering free diagnosis services, Dr Jamal Nasir stated that vaccination and treatment will also be guaranteed. The event was planned, according to the health minister, to celebrate the joy of thalassemia patients and their families and to honour their fortitude.
On “World Thalassaemia Day,” health experts emphasised the need for awareness campaigns to reduce the incidence of this genetic blood disorder and called for avoiding cousin marriages as these were a major factor in the spread of the disease in the nation.”Thalassemia is a fatal and hereditary disease, and not only the patient but also his family members experience painful stages during this disease,” they stated.
In order to help restrict the spread of the disease in Pakistan, where there are currently 5000 infants born with this disease each year, a thalassaemia expert, Dr Prof. Hassan Abbas Zaheer, emphasised that it is essential for families with a history of thalassaemia to screen their children before marriage.
