Hundreds screened for blood disorders at NIBD camp

Hundreds including women and children thronged the National Institute of Blood Diseases (NIBD) on Sunday for specialised blood tests and other screenings that had been offered by the health facility free of charge to test them for thalassaemia, haemophilia, different types of leukaemia and blood cancers.

“The NIBD organized this free medical screening camp to create awareness about blood diseases and to help needy and deserving patients have themselves screened for blood disorders. We are offering screenings worth Rs17,000 per person at this camp free of charge,” said NIBD chief executive officer and renowned bone marrow transplant surgeon Dr Tahir Shamsi.

Tests carried out at the NIBD medical camp free of charge included CBC, serum ferritin, haemoglobin electrophoresis, serum folate, serum B12, vitamin D3 and RBC folate. Several other specialised medical screenings were available on highly subsidised rates on the recommendations of consultants.   

Besides Dr Shamsi, Dr Saqib Ansari, Dr Muneera Burhani, Dr Saima Siddiqui, Dr Uzma Zaidi and 20 other doctors and volunteers from various medical universities facilitated the people visiting the camp.

Dr Shamsi said blood disorders were life-threatening diseases and their treatment was extremely costly so it was imperative to get them diagnosed at early stages so that proper treatment could be started to eliminate the disease.

He feared that cases of thalassaemia in Pakistan could surpass half a million in the next eight years.