10 million thalassaemia patients in Pakistan
Lack of awareness, cousin marriages and poverty are the main reasons for the disease. As a result, the report said, 80 per cent of the thalassaemia affected people belong to the lower strata of society.
A newborn baby gets 25 per cent chances of thalassaemia if the disease affects one parent, but if both parents are affected then the baby gets 50 per cent chances of the disease.
Doctors and specialists stressed on the need of blood tests before getting married so that chances of birth of an infected baby could be minimised.
Government’s lack of interest and dearth of resources is creating problems for the patients and their families. There is a dire need of volunteers to come forward and donate blood for the poor patients who have to transfuse blood after every three to four weeks.
In Islamabad, only the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has a department that has treated over 400 patients and provided 600 blood units to the patients this year.
—PPI