Legislation for pre-marriage blood test demanded for eradication of diseases

Lahore: Deputy Speaker National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi has stressed the need for legislation for pre-marriage blood test as compulsory for eradication of diseases particularly thalassemia and  National Assembly is ready to extend all possible cooperation to provincial governments.

He said this during a briefing by Health Department Punjab about the alleged detection of HIV AIDS virus in the thalassemia children. Advisor on Health Kh. Salman Rafiq, Secretary Health Jawad Rafiq Malik, Director General Health Punjab Dr. Zahid Pervaiz, Additional Secretary Health (Technical) Dr. Salman Shahid, Country Director UNAIDS Marc SABA, MNAs Waheed Alam Khan, Shahzadi Umerzadi Tiwana, officers of Punjab AIDS Control Programme and other officials were also present in the meeting. Secretary Health informed the delegation of MNAs about the steps taken for eradication of transmission of AIDS to thalassemia children in Punjab. He told that detection of transmission of HIV AIDS virus in thalassemia children during alleged blood transfusion could not be verified and no evidence of transmission of HIV virus in any child from the record of thalassemia center of Sir Gangaram Hospital was found. However, Provincial Government had immediately constituted a committee comprising experts in this regard which has recommended that screening of all registered children of thalassemia should be conducted in the province.

Kh Salman Rafiq disclosed that 12 thousand children are suffering from thalassemia in the province and their screening process has been started but it will take many months. He told that Punjab is the only province where Provincial Thalassemia Control Programme is being run at government level. He told that thalassemia control centers are working in 22 districts of the province and its scope is being expanded to other districts.

Kh. Salman Rafiq said that Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority has been activated for controlling diseases being spread due to blood transfusion. He said that applications for registration have been invited from all blood banks and process of inspection and registration of blood banks has also been started.