LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Dr. Yasmin Rashid has disclosed that the bill on thalassaemia premarital tests will be passed very soon.
The Minister was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of 15th National Thalassaemia Conference and Workshop at Fatima Jinnah Medical University here on Saturday. She said: “Every day about 17 children are born with this genetic disorder. The bill on Thalassaemia premarital tests will be passed very soon to snub this disease. The treatment through bone marrow transplant is very expensive and we have never paid due attention to this disease in the past.”
Present on the occasion were Vice Chancellor Fatima Jinnah Medical University Prof. Amir Zaman Khan, Major General Suhaib (retd), Professor Javeria Mannan, General Moinuddin Haider (retd), Professor Yasmin Ihsan, Dr. Hussain Jaffery and a large number of thalassaemics, parents, doctors and social workers joined via video link.
Thalassaemia is the most common genetic disorder in Pakistan. The gene prevalence of Thalassaemia is around 6 percent which means that 6 out of every 100 Pakistanis carry this mutant gene. Arguable around 12 million people are healthy carriers of this gene. Thalassemia is an autosomal recessive disease, which means if two carriers get married to each other then they will have a 1 in 4 (25%) chance of having an offspring with thalassaemia major in every pregnancy. Currently, majority of the patients in Pakistan do not get adequate treatment. Pakistan was the first Muslim country to perform Thalassaemia genetic test in 1994.
Responding to queries of journalists, the Minister said that the condition of Chaudhry Shujaat was improving as per latest reports. She said a team of senior doctors at Services Hospitals is looking after him.
Vice Chancellor FJWU Professor Amir Zaman Khan paid rich tribute to doctors serving for awareness, treatment and diagnosis of Thalassaemia. Secretary General Thalassaemia Foundation Pakistan Dr. Hussain Jaffery said that by timely diagnosis, a significant reduction in cases can be brought about. Pre-marital tests can help control the disease a great deal.
Meanwhile, Dr. Yasmin Rashid inaugurated the Water Testing Laboratory at Rivaz Garden Chaubarji and Tree Plantation Campaign at Sanda Road.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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