Amended act makes thalassaemia test mandatory before marriage in Punjab

LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education (SH&ME) Kh Salman Rafique has said the department has prepared an amended draft of Punjab Prevention and Control of Thalassaemia Act 2018 and a summary regarding the draft act is being sent to Punjab chief minister for approval.

As per the amended act, a thalassaemia test for the male has been made mandatory before marriage in the draft bill to control spread of the disease. While presiding over a meeting regarding the Punjab Thalassaemia Control Programme on Monday, the minister said after the approval from the CM the draft bill would be sent to the Standing Committee.

Secretary, SH&ME, Najam Ahmed Shah, Additional Secretary (Technical) Dr Salman Shahid, Project Director Punjab Thalassaemia Control Programme Dr Shabnam Bashir, Deputy Project Director Dr Azhar Jafferi, Director Institute of Blood Transfusion, Dr Zafar Iqbal, Secretary Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority Dr Muhammad Athar and other officers concerned attended the meeting.

Dr Shabnam Bashir said thalassaemia test for the male had been made mandatory before marriage in the draft bill to control spread of the disease. She said if the couple (boy and girl) was the carrier of thalassaemia minor, their children would be the patient of thalassaemia major which was an active thalassaemia disease.

Therefore, thalassaemia test of male was being made mandatory to prevent the future generation from the disease. She said this law had been prevailing in various countries and they succeeded to control or eliminate thalassaemia.

Kh Salman Rafique observed the disease of thalassaemia spreading among children and legislation and implementation was the need of the hour for overcoming the issue for which religious leaders and community have to play active role in ensuring the implementation on the law.