First public sector thalassemia centre opens in Islamabad
Pakistan Times Health Desk

ISLAMABAD: Federal Secretary Health Syed Anwar Mehmood on Monday opened the first public sector center for thalassemia treatment with a call to the public to donate blood regularly to help the suffering people. .

The center is housed in the Children Hospital at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in the capital.

Established at the initiative of the federal health ministry, the center will provide free medical consultation, genetic counseling, specialized pathology investigation, safe blood transfusion and chelation therapy to Thalassemia patients.

The patients are usually children having chronic anemia and dependent on regular blood transfusions for their survival.

The medical care provided to these patients in most hospitals is unsatisfactory due to various factors.

These include lack of awareness among the general public about the disease, financial constraints, problems regarding availability of safe blood transfusions and inadequate or lack of provision for chelation therapy necessary for removing excess iron from the body, accumulated due to repeated blood transfusions.

The center will provide treatment and blood transfusion facilities to 250 registered patients of Islamabad and its adjoining area. The disease which cause due to blood disorder is dangerous but cureable.

At the opening ceremony Secretary health said “there is need of mass awareness to adopt preventive steps including discouraging cousin marriages, pre marriage voluntary blood test to ascertain thalassemia so that spread of the disease could be avoided.

He said Thalassemia is a debilitating disease which kills unless treated properly and in time. It also needs to be diagnosed in time.

He lauded PIMS management for opening the Thalassemia Center which will offer counselling facilities to the parents of children who suffer from Thalassemia besides offering counselling to families and relatives whose children suffer from thalassemia.

He said government is committed to provide all facilities to thalassemia patients. He said that government negotiated with the drug manufacturers to reduce 25% prices of medicine needed in the treatment of the disease including Disporal etc.

He urged the people to donate blood voluntarily as thalassemia patients need screened blood transfusion for survival. He added it is a welcome step to launch awareness campaign by volunteers for blood donation and funds for the treatment of patients.

Speaking on the occasion PIMS executive Director Prof. Syed Fazl-e-Hadi said in Pakistan, especially in rural communities, marriages take place between close cousins.●