KARACHI, March 20: The absence of testing facilities in public sector to detect whether the couples intending marriage are not the carriers of Thalassaemia Minor makes premature the proposed bill declaring such a test mandatory. Health care experts talking to journalists in a meeting at Hussaini Blood Bank and Thalassaemia Centre mentioned that Thalassaemia Major, an incurable health condition consequent to marriage between two Thalassaemia Minor, was being increasingly reported due to poor realization regarding cause of the disease as well as absence of the required testing facilities in public sector health infrastructure.

They said that the test, which cost no less than Rs700 to Rs1400 to couples in private sector that too only in urban centres, was not only unaffordable for urbanites but simply beyond the reach of rural population.

Altaf Nazim of Hussaini Hematology and Oncology Trust hence observed the proposed bill to be a premature attempt owing to absence of required infrastructure in public sector. He said that the required machinery was not very expensive and the running expenditure could also be maintained through close coordination between private and public sectors. —APP