Thalassaemia awareness hiking on Sunday

ISLAMABAD: The Jamila Sultana Foundation has planned a will organise a thalassaemia awareness hike on Margalla Hills next Sunday (January 3). The event will be held at 9am on the Margalla Hills Trail 5. According to Haris Azam of the foundation, the event is part of efforts to make the country free from thalassaemia. He told ‘The News’ that his organisation would carry out free thalassaemia screening of the participants. Haris Azam said blood donors would get test report on hepatitis B and C, HIV, malaria, syphilis and blood group free of charge He said the JSF was providing treatment to 900 thalassaemia patients every year and required more and more blood donation to handle acute shortages for the relief of patients. He said public welfare organisations could participate in the event to promote the cause by putting up own stalls.