Screenings : 0.1m thalassemia patients identified

LAHORE: The Punjab Thalassemia Prevention Programme (PTPP) has been expanded to all 36 districts of the province and screening for carriers has been carried out. At least 100,000 people belonging to 3,232 families with the ailment have been identified.



The treatment of thalassemia is very costly and painful for the patients; therefore, prevention is the only solution to eradicate the disease. This was stated by Punjab Minister for Specialized Healthcare & Medical Education Khwaja Salman Rafique as he spoke at an awareness seminar organized by PTPP at the Fatima Jinnah Medical University to mark World Thalassemia Day. PTPP Director Dr Shabnam Bashir said training programmes had also been launched for doctors and nurses on the PTPP platform. She stated PTPP was conducting awareness campaigns, pre-natal diagnostics, genetic counselling.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9^th, 2017.