Symposium on “Donate to deserving: from diagnosis to blood transfusion in thallasemia patients”

The Departments of Animal Sciences and Microbiology in collaboration with Pakistan Thallasemia Welfare Society (PTWS) organized a two-day symposium and blood donation camp here at Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad. The prime objective of the symposium was to enhance the awareness about thallasemia, a deadly hereditary disease, and to motivate the students to donate blood to the thallasemia patients. There are an estimated 100,000 registered transfusion dependent patients in Pakistan, and approximately 6,000 babies are born every year in the country.

The symposium was inaugurated by Prof. Dr. Masoom Yasinzai, Vice-Chancellor QAU. During his address, he highlighted the importance of collaborative ventures for the national cause. He thanked the resource persons for spearing their precious time to organize this event. Prof. Dr. Asgari Bano, Dean Faculty of Biological Sciences, in her address, welcomed the audience and the resource persons, and encouraged the students to donate blood with great zeal and enthusiasm. During the seminar series, Dr. Sajid Malik presented an update on the diagnosis and treatment of thallasemia. Dr. Lt. General Fahim Ahmad Khan, President PTWS shared his experience of catering thallasemic patients for the last 30 years. Mrs. Shabnum Ijaz, DMO PTWS expressed her feeling of being a mother of thallasemic child. In the end of symposium, Prof. Dr. Safia Ahmad thanked all the participants, and the resource persons namely Dr. Javid Iqbal Dasti and Sajid Malik. In the blood donation campaign, 135 bottles of blood were donated by the QAU students and faculty members.