LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Khawaja Salman Rafiq has said that the process of legislation on compulsory pre-marriage blood screening test of a couple for thalassemia has been started and a draft bill has been prepared by the Punjab Thalasemia Prevention and Treatment Programme (PTPP) in collaboration with the lawmakers. He stated this while presiding over a meeting to review the performance of PTPP at Civil Secretariat on Tuesday.
He said that a consultative seminar would be organised next month to share the draft bill with all the stakeholders and to get their proposals on it. Religious scholars, members from civil society, medical professionals and other important personalities from different segments of the society would be invited in the seminar.
Besides, Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Secretary Najam Ahmad Shah, Special Secretary Dr Sajid Chohan, PTPP Project Director Dr Shabnam Bashir, Health (Tech) Deputy Secretary Dr Mohsin and others attended the meeting.
Salman Rafiq said that though thalassemia is a very painful and fatal disease, however, prevention from this disease is very easy. He said that generally, it is an inherited disease; however, by adopting preventive measures one can save oneself from this deadly disease. The minister said that there is a need to launch a comprehensive awareness campaign through print and electronic media so that people can start taking preventive measures.
Dr Shabnam Bashir said that without screening, the disease cannot be diagnosed and if a person with thalassemia minor reproduced, the child born would be thalassemia major and will have to undergo regular transfusions. She said that many countries including Islamic nations have made legislation for mandatory pre-marriage blood screen of the boy and the girl to control the disease.
