KARACHI: A charitable health organization has offered the Sindh government to run its half a dozen Thalassaemia centres, which are lying functionless for years after completion in different cities of the province including Karachi, saying they could make these centres functional under public-private partnership provided ample resources are given with no strings attached.
Afzaal Memorial Thalassaemia Foundation (AMTF), which recently won the 3g (Global Good Governance) Cambridge IFA Award for running Pakistan’s first free of charge Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for patients suffering from Thalassaemia and other blood diseases, is working for Thalassaemia awareness and conventional treatment of the genetic blood disorder since 2003 in Karachi and other cities of Sindh.
“We are perhaps the only health organization in the country which is running a free of charge Paediatric ICU dedicated for Thalassemia and other blood disorders sufferers for last seven years where around 4,000 children have been received intensive care for Thalassaemia and its complications”, eminent Haematologist (blood diseases specialist) Dr. Asim Qidwai told a news conference at AMTF hospital in Karachi.
Accompanied by Member Advisory Board AMTF Atiq-ur-Rehman, eminent neurologist Prof. Dr. Abdul Malik, Finance Secretary AMTF Muhammad Rehan and others, Dr. Asim Qidwai said it was a pride moment for entire Pakistan that one of their charitable organization working in the field of health had been selected by international agencies and conferred with Global Good Governance 3G Children Welfare Award – Cambridge IFA in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Founded in 2003 for providing blood transfusion services to the children suffering from Thalassaemia, Afzaal Memorial Thalassaemia Foundation now runs a state-of-the-art diagnostic laboratory, heart and other sub specialty clinics, provides radiology services, in addition to provision of conventional treatment of Thalassaemia major in the country.
Dr. Asim Qidwai claimed that an Italian team has given them a go-ahead for starting Bone-Marrow-Transplant (BMT) services at their center keeping in view the latest facilities available with them but added that they were now in the process of acquiring and pooling up the financial resources so that the state-of-the-art treatment for Thalassaemia and genetic blood diseases could be offered to the children free of charge.
Responding to the queries of the newsmen, Dr. Asim Qidwai said AMTF was one of the best Thalassaemia treatment and management centres in Pakistan and if provincial government approaches them to run their Thalassaemia centres, which have yet to be made functional, they have the capacity and capability to make these centres operational.
“Unfortunately, neither the provincial nor the federal government has ever contacted us to learn from our experiences and expertise in the field of Thalassaemia management and eradication”, Dr. Qidwai said, adding that they were ready to assist the government provided they are given required resources without any political interference.
Thalassaemia eradication
Speaking about the Thalassaemia eradication from Pakistan, Dr. Asim Qidwai said it could not be eliminated from our soil unless couples having Thalassemia genes are stopped from marriages and that could only be possible through awareness, not legislation.
“In order to make our children aware of Thallassaemia and its prevention, we need to include information about it in our curricula. Our 8th to 12th graders need to know that Thalassaemia is a hereditary disease, which can be prevented if people are screened for it before marriages and Thalassaemia major persons should not marry each other to prevent birth of children with this disease”, he said adding that several other countries including Iran, Cyprus, Bahrain and several others have wiped this diseases from their soils through awareness and screening.
According to him, several foreign countries including government of Japan, many consulates operating in Karachi, multinational companies, pharmaceutical firms and philanthropists were supporting them in treatment and management of Thalassaemia patients, who were being provided state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment facilities without charging a single penny from their parents.
He maintained that they were now heading towards establishment of an Institute of Blood Diseases where all the blood disorders including Thalassaemia, different types of blood cancers and others diseases would be treated free of charge.
“Our donors have committed resources for acquisition of land and construction of a modern Institute of Blood Diseases and very soon this project would be kicked off”, he said and adding urged the authorities to support the organizations like AMTF in its endeavours.
Atiq-ur-Rehman, Finance Secretary AMTF M. Rehan and eminent neurologist Dr. Abdul Malik on the occasion urged the provincial and federal governments to come forward, realize their responsibilities in prevention and treatment of diseases and help organizations like AMTF which are now gaining international fame and importance so that they could reach a lot more children suffering with genetic blood disorders. News Desk
