LAHORE: Punjab caretaker Health Minister Prof Javed Akram has announced that health reforms will be introduced in schools across Punjab shortly, with students beginning to be checked in class nine to prevent disorders such as thalassemia.

He said the shortage of medicines in the province had been addressed up to 90pc, saying the health card scheme would continue for the poor, but the rich would be excluded from the scheme.

He was addressing the opening ceremony of the three-day international conference “HAEMCON 2023” at the University of Health Sciences on Thursday.

Dr Akram said laboratory services were the backbone for better diagnosis. He was of the view that knowledge and awareness regarding various blood diseases were very poor and the people didn’t even know which doctor to go if they got a blood disorder.

The three-day conference was organised by the Pakistan Society of Hematology. The theme of the conference is “Diversifying and translating research into clinical practice”.

Consisting of seven sessions, the conference will feature 12 workshops. Poster competitions and exhibitions are also part of the moot.

Published in Dawn, February 17th, 2023