Precautionary measures: Thalassaemia screening starts at hospital

Dr Zaman stresses need of thalassaemia screening among youngsters before wedding to protect children from disease.

KARACHI: A thalassaemia screening facility is being provided in Sindh Government Hospital, New Karachi, for couples willing to get married. This was done on the directives of Sindh Health Minister Dr Sagheer Ahmed. The hospital’s medical superintendent Dr Asif Zaman said as many as 500 thalassaemia screening tests have been carried out since June 25, with the coordination of Hussani Blood Bank. All tests have been negative so far.  Around 40 thalassaemia screening tests are conducted in the hospital every day. Dr Zaman said thalassaemia is a painful blood disorder in which affected children depend on transfused blood for their entire life. He stressed the need of thalassaemia screening among youngsters before their wedding to protect their children from this disease.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 4^th, 2014.