Punjab soon to have pre-marriage thalassemia test, says health minister

Staff Reporter

09th Feb, 2022. 07:49 pm
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LAHORE: Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid on Wednesday said that the law on pre-marriage thalassemia test is about to be introduced in the province.

She was speaking as a chief guest at a workshop organised by the Punjab Thalassemia and other Genetic Disorders Prevention and Research Institute at Fatima Jinnah Medical University (FJMU).

FJMU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Professor Dr Amir Zaman Khan, Punjab Thalassemia Prevention and Genetic Disorders Prevention and Research Institute Director General (DG) Dr Hussain Jaffery, Ganga Ram Hospital Medical Superintendent (MS) Dr Athar, and welfare organisations working on Thalassemia prevention attended the event.

The health minister said, “Government is providing quality healthcare services to thalassemia patients. The bill on the pre-marriage thalassemia test shall be passed very soon.”

She added, “Punjab started work on thalassemia in 1994 and the first prenatal test was conducted the same year. We travelled to K-2 base camp for awareness on thalassemia.”

Dr Rashid advised two carriers of thalassemia must avoid a marriage while adding that raising awareness is no less than worship.

“Pre-marriage diagnosis is the right of all,” she asserted and told, “I dedicatedly worked on thalassemia prevention and awareness between 2001 and 2008. I dreamed of a programme for thalassemia prevention in 1994.”

“It is important we all sit together to chalk out a way forward. Everyone going from this event must create awareness among people,” the minister concluded.

Punjab soon to have pre-marriage thalassemia test, says health minister

Staff Reporter

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