Punjab Govt ok’s bone marrow transplant project in Children Hospital

Lahore: Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab on Health Kh. Salman Rafique has said that Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has provided special grant of Rs.200 million for bone marrow transplant project in Children Hospital and this facility would be started within a year. It will be a great help to the thalassemia patients, he added.

He said this while addressing a thalassemia symposium held at  for awareness and training of the doctors. Dean Institute of Child Health & Children Hospital Prof. Dr. Masood Sadiq, Medical Director Prof. Dr. Ahsan Waheed Rathore, head of Hematology Department Prof. Nisar, Project Director Punjab Thalassemia Prevention Programme Prof. Shamsa Humayun, Prof. Javeria Mannan, doctors, nurses and a number of thalassemia patients and their parents attended the symposium.

Prof. Masood Sadiq informed that 700 thalassemia infected children have been registered in Children Hospital and treatment facilities are being provided to them. He further told that hematology and oncology ward of the hospital has 60 beds as compared to hundred patients admitted in the ward. He stressed the need of setting up more children hospitals in the country. He thanked Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif for providing additional fellowship seats in hematology and oncology department and said that eight doctors are doing their second fellowship in this field.

Prof. Shamsa Humayun informed that every year five thousand children are born in Pakistan with thalassemia and a rough estimate of thalassemia infected children in Pakistan is more than 50 thousand.

Prof. Ahsan Waheed Rathore said that doctors and parents face many difficulties in the treatment and taking care of thalassemia children therefore, a close liaison between parents and the clinicians is essential.

Prof. Nisar said that volunteer blood donors culture does not exist in Pakistan therefore, doctors, parents and thalassemia children are facing many difficulties in arranging of fresh blood and its transfusion.

Kh. Salman Rafique informed that Blood Transfusion Authority (BTA) has been made functional after 15 years and the registration /inspection of blood banks has been started to eliminate the business of substandard and unscreened blood.

He said that necessary amendments have been proposed in the law of BTA to enhance the sentence and fine for running substandard blood banks. He said that this crime will be made a non-bailable offence. He said that draft law has been prepared with the consultation of concerned departments and collaboration of German Institute GIZ.

This amended law bill will be presented in Punjab Assembly for legislation. Kh. Salman Rafique disclosed that peads liver transplant project would be started very soon in the Children Hospital.