‘Thalassemia awareness to be included in syllabus’

LAHORE: Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique chaired a meeting at the Higher Education Department, here on Friday.

The meeting was attended by Secretary of the Higher Education Department Dr Farrukh Naveed, Additional Secretary of the Technical Department, Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Dr Muhammad Waseem, Additional Secretary of the School Education Department, Director General of the Thalassemia Prevention Programme Dr Yasmin Ehsan and Head of the Institute of Blood Transfusion Services Professor Shabnam Bashir. During the meeting, the provincial health minister reviewed the steps taken to include awareness information about thalassemia in the educational curriculum. The officers concerned also briefed the minister on this matter. Khawaja Salman Rafique stated that pre-marriage screening for thalassemia has become very important. He mentioned that the Punjab government was expanding thalassemia testing facilities across the province. He emphasised the significance of including awareness material about thalassemia in the curriculum, saying, ‘We want to create awareness about thalassemia among children through the curriculum from primary to higher education. Along with the government, society will also have to play a key role in controlling thalassemia.’