The Punjab government is planning to set up thalassaemia centres in the paediatric wards of every district headquarters (DHQ) hospital in the province.
A meeting was held for deliberations and recommendations to extend the Punjab Thalassaemia Prevention Programme throughout the province at the Civil Secretariat with Punjab Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Shamail Ahmad Khawaja in chair here on Tuesday.
The meeting was briefed that the centres would be equipped with all necessary diagnostic facilities and will also cover curative aspects through the provision of Desferol injections, blood component transfusion facilities, and other medication.
The meeting recommended job security for current project workers and emphasized the need to increase general awareness and enhance services to thalassemic patients so that increased demands could be met.
The recommendations include transforming the Punjab Thalassaemia Prevention Programme into an IT proficient project and legislation for thalassaemia screening of would-be spouses before marriage on mandatory basis.
The meeting also recommended that the Punjab government should introduce ‘Health and Hygiene’ as a compulsory subject at different levels from class 6 to class 10 both in public and private educational institutions. The Punjab government will also consider the establishment of a ‘Punjab Health TV Channel’ to impart awareness as well as distance training, the ACS hoped.
Shamail Ahmad Khawaja termed the Punjab government’s utilization of Rs 200 million for the provision of bone marrow transplant facilities to Thalassemic patients during the last two years at the Institute of Child Health, Lahore, as a very positive step towards combating the disease.
Institute of Child Health and Children Hospital Lahore Medical Director Dr Ahsan Waheed Rathore, Professor of Paediatric Department Dr Akmal Laeeq, Punjab Thalassaemia Prevention Programme Project Director Dr Shabnam Bashir, Punjab P&D Board Health Member Dr Shabana Haider, Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Special Secretary Dr Sajid Mehmood Chohan, Addl Secretary (Techical) Dr Salman Shahid, and S&GAD Addl Secretary (Staff) Ashiq Hussain Olakh also attended the meeting.
