Executive Director of Afzaal Memorial Thalassemia Foundation (AMTF), Ateeq-ur-Rehman has urged governor Imran Ismail and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to allocate handsome funds for initiating thalassemia awareness drives and eventually overcoming the threat of spreading thalassemia and its consequences from the province of Sindh.
Welcoming the statement of Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmeen Rashid who announced to present "Prevention of Thalassemia Bill" in the Punjab Assembly soon during 'National Thalassemia conference' held in Lahore, he said that the bill will require the grooms to undergo thalassemia test before marriage. He said that It is a good step perceived to remove the critical barriers for a thalassemia free Pakistan.
Ateeq said that it is serious and dire need of the day for federal health ministry and all provincial health ministries to take thalassemia prevention measures sincerely as their responsibility because the threat rises when both husband and wife have thalassemic genes and married to each other. He said that we have to go out of our way to save the country from this "Thal Explosion".