KARACHI:Administrator Karachi Barrister Murtaza Wahab on Thursday termed Thalassemia as a very deadly disease and highlighted the importance of following the advice given by experts to avoid it.
“The increase in the number of children suffering from Thalassemia in Pakistan is alarming”, he said.
The organizations that are providing services to the children suffering from this disease were commendable, the Administrator said, while inaugurating the expansion project of Afzal Memorial Thalassemia Hospital as a special guest.
Also present on the occasion were Municipal Commissioner KMC Syed Afzal Zaidi, Head of Afzal Memorial Thalassemia Foundation Dr. Asim Qidwai, Medical Officer and Dr. Ijaz, Dr. Rehan.
The administrator Karachi said that only the parents could understand the pain of children who were suffering from the disease.
He stated that the institutions that provide facilities for the treatment of these children are commendable and the government and philanthropists should help them.
Barrister Murtaza mentioned that cousin marriage was the major cause of Thalassemia in children. “If men and women are tested for the disease before marriage, the disease can be significantly reduced”, he added.
Briefing the Administrator Karachi, Dr. Asim Qidwai said that all facilities were provided free of cost at Afzal Memorial Thalassemia Hospital.
It is a 45-bed hospital, he said, where more than 40 children were being treated and at the same time children were also admitted due to the severity of the disease.
Dr Qudwai said that this is the only hospital in Pakistan where ICU ward facility, operating since 2003, was available for people suffering from Thalassemia.
Administrator Karachi said that he would request the Sindh government to release funds for the organization on an annual basis so that it could better provide medical facilities to children with Thalassemia.
Barrister Murtaza Wahab later visited various parts,wards and laboratory of the hospital, and inquired about the well-being of the children admitted in the hospital.