KARACHI: Provincial Minister for Health and Population Welfare Azra Fazal Pechuho chaired an important meeting to devise an strategy for combating the situation regarding Thalassemia major disease.
The meeting was attended by the representatives of all organizations providing Thalassemia care to affected patients. Addressing to the meeting, the minister said that the Sindh government was continuously thriving to provide facilities for health and welfare of public.
She added that Thalassemia major required life-long treatment, which had affected the patients socially, economically and psychologically; therefore, they needed to take solid steps to counter the situation.
Director Sindh Blood Transfusion Authority (SBTA) Dr Dur-e-Naz Jamal briefed the participants that SBTA was currently regulating the Thalassemia care organization and was trying to work through holistic approach to combat the worsening situation.
She stressed that they collectively should apply two prongs approach ie prevention along with treatment of this disease. She further said that currently more than 8,000 Thalassemia patients were registered, but approximately 20,000 were present which included IDPs and patients from other provinces.
Pechuho instructed the director SBTA and DoH officials to plan public health measures such as extended family screening, counselling and community sensitization.
She also acknowledged the efforts by private Thalassemia care organizations. The minister directed all Thalassemia care association to consult SBTA for their issues and instructed director SBTA to address them.
She said that work on implementation of Sindh Thalassemia Control and Prevention Act 2013 has been resumed and DoH is working on activation of public sector Thalassemia care and treatment centers.
On this occasion, the role of SBTA was appreciated by all the stakeholders and it was mentioned that for the first time such a meeting has been called where all Thalassaemia centers from the whole province are invited and their voices are being heard.