Karachi (HRNW)- The country’s first thalassemia mobile van has been inaugurated. Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal said that the increasing cases of thalassemia in Pakistan are worrying, and the main reason for this is the negligence of both the public and the government.
The Federal Health Minister said that the only effective way to prevent thalassemia is timely screening. He suggested that thalassemia test should be made mandatory before marriage, at least for boys, because the marriage of two minor parents increases the risk of giving birth to a child with thalassemia major.
He said that “everyone knows this, but no one goes to get tested.”
Mustafa Kamal further said that he came to know a few days ago that there is a separate institution for organ transplantation in Pakistan, which has now also included bone marrow transplant. According to him, the treatment of thalassemia includes blood transfusion as well as bone marrow transplant, however, only one person out of 50,000 proves to be a suitable match for the patient.
The Health Minister said that the government has done away with the additional approval stage required before bone marrow transplant to facilitate the patients.
He stressed that mandatory testing before marriage has become indispensable to eliminate thalassemia and legal steps are being considered in this regard.
HRNW appeals to the public to support awareness, prevention and treatment efforts for serious diseases like thalassemia. Donations can be made through the following link:
https://www.hrnww.com/donate-us/
