MULTAN: The Punjab government is considering to make Thalassemia Test mandatory before marriage mainly with to aim to check incidence of this serious life threatening disease, official sources of Health department disclosed on Tuesday.
The Provincial Health department has prepared a draft bill laying condition of Thalassemia test for couples before they get married, said the sources, adding that it has been sent to Law department for fulfilling legal formalities. Thalassemia is a blood disorder passed down genetically in which the body makes an abnormal form of hemoglobin in red blood cells that carry oxygen. The disorder leads to destruction of large number of red blood cells which leads to anemia.
The health department sources informed that after getting go ahead from provincial cabinet and standing committee, the bill would be tabled in the Punjab Assembly for approval. Punjab government is also mulling to issue a certificate to couples after the test, added the sources.
Acclaimed gynecologist and Principal Bakhtawar Amin Medical and Dental College, Dr Samee Akhtar said that the test should be made compulsory, especially in cousin marriage cases.He added that it is a simple blood test which tells whether next generation could have the disease due to defective genes of parents.
About its kinds, Dr Samee said that Thalassemia had two types including Thalassemia major and Thalessemia trait. If one gene of both boy and girl who are going to marry were defective, their babies would suffer from Thalassemia, he informed.
The gynecologist said that with the test recommended by medical science, the disease could be prevented easily. He regretted that most of our general public was uneducated and did not follow the suggested parametres even though they were sensitized about it. Dr Akhtrar hailed the step of Punjab government to check incidence thalassemia which kills people in early ages.
