Daily Times

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Senior Health Minister Shahram Khan Tarakai has said that the provincial government will increase the budget of Thalassemia and will work with Thalassemia Federation of Pakistan to control the disease in the province.

He was addressing the 11th Conference National Conference & Workshop on Thalassemia at Khyber Medical Collage Peshawar.

The Senior Minister said that Rs 500 million for the integrated programme for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis and Thalassemia patients were already announced by the provincial government.

The Minister appreciated the organizer for organizing such health activity and said that the seminar will help to create awareness among the people regarding the Thalassemia disease, adding that the provincial government has already established Safe Blood Transfusion Institute in Hayatabad and people should come forward to donate blood and save the lives.

Tarkai appreciate all the blood donor foundations and said that the provincial government will work together with all the organization, adding that KP is the worse province where the disease and patients are growing day by day but with awareness and guidance it can be control.

He added that KP government will working on the legislation about Thalassemia disease and soon a bill will be presented in the provincial assembly to control the disease and implantation of the previous legislation which said that every couples before marriage should tested their blood to secure their future.

He further said that the provincial government will soon established Thalassemia centre in district headquarter hospitals and Medical Teaching Institute across the province where treatment and awareness regarding Thalassemia patients will be available.

On the occasion Thalassemia Federation of Pakistan president Lt Gen (Retd) Moeenuddin Haider said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is the worse province in Thalassemia, adding that ten percent people of KP are minor Thalassemia patients.

He informs that around 1.20 million people in Pakistan were Thalassemia minor patients and when they get married their children became Thalassemia patients, adding that if proper treatment were provided to the patients they can spend a happy life even they can survive till to 70 years.

He inform that there were a dire need of awareness among the people regarding Thalassemia disease and those people who were cousin and were going to be married they should test before marriage.

He inform that there centers were working across Pakistan and saving the lives of poor people, adding that media and philanthropists should come forward to save lives and secure our children future. On the occasion general secretary of the foundation Dr Yasmeen, Khyber Medical Collage Principle Dr Ijaz Khan and other participants were attend the conference.