Speaker at a Seminar on Pediatric Illnesses at Abbassi Shaheed Hospital has said that the quality of life of patients with thalassaemia can be eased by the timely transfusion of properly screened blood, proper iron chelating, and provision of adequate medication and physical rehabilitation to the patients.
They were speaking at a Seminar organized by Omair Sana Foundation in collaboration with Abbasi Shaheed Hospital held recnelty in Karachi. A large number of child specialists, doctors and relevant people attended the Seminar.
Dr Saqib Hussain Ansari, General Secretary of Omair Sana Foundation sharing his views on the occasion informed the participants about the importance of screening test before marriage in order to save future generation as well as for the prevention and eradication of thalassaemia from Pakistan.
He further said that overload of iron in the body is due to continuous blood transfusion to thalassemia patients was harmful and must be controlled by using different medication and iron chelating factors so that the patients could live a pleasant life. Unawareness to the issue is continuously augmenting the number of patients in our society. In order to save our next generations from this disease, conducting test before marriage should be made mandatory. The expecting mothers, who already have a Thalassemia major child, should go for CVS test in the 10th to 12th week of pregnancy so that thalassaemia gene, if there, is detected.
He also informed about the role of oral medication, precaution and preventive measures, and success rate of bone marrow transplantation in managing and saving the lives of children suffering from thalassemia. He stressed for maintaining the hemoglobin level as the requirement of blood reduces and patient gets better managed.
Prof Dr Sultan Mustafa and Dr. Arshad Ali of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital also spoke on the occasion.