Venue: Auditorium Gujranwala Medical College, Gujranwala
Special Guests:
1- Mr. Umar Farooq Dar, MPA
2- Mr. Faisal Sattar Mughal, Vice President Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce & Industry
3- Dr. Yasmeen Ehsan, Director General PTGD Head Office Lahore
4- Prof. Dr. Zulfiqar Ali, Department of Pediatrics Gujranwala Medical College
5- Mr. Haji Sarfraz Ahmad, Chairman Sundas Foundation Gujranwala
6- Mr. Ali Hassan, CEO Al-Qaim Foundation Gujranwala
7- Prof. Dr. Rehma Dar, Department of Pathology Gujranwala Medical College
8- Miss Razia Shamim, Principal Nursing College Gujranwala Teaching Hospital
Speakers:
1- Prof. Dr. Shazia Ashraf Deptt. Of Gynae & Obs Gujranwala Medical College
2- Assistant Prof Dr. Saima Umar Deptt. Of Pediatrics, Gujranwala Medical College
3- Dr. Yasmeen Ehsan Director General PTGD Lahore
4- Dr. Nayyar Imran Haider, Medical Superintendent Gujranwala Medical College Teaching Hospital
5- Prof. Dr. Iqbal Hussain Dogar, Principal Gujranwala Medical College, Gujranwala
6- Dr. Muzalfa & Dr. Ayesha PGs from Peads Department Host of the Program
Event Details:
In a concerted effort to raise awareness and promote preventive strategies against thalassaemia, Gujranwala Medical College (GMC) organized a seminar on National Thalassaemia Prevention Day. The event brought together a wide range of health professionals, including faculty, professors, doctors, postgraduate trainees, nurses, and students from GMC and its nursing college.
The seminar featured distinguished speakers who underscored the urgent need for collective action to curb thalassaemia—a hereditary blood disorder that remains a serious public health concern in Pakistan. According to recent estimates, a child is born with thalassaemia major every 90 minutes in the country. The News International
Key Speakers and Highlights:
• Mr. Umar Farooq Dar, MPA, opened the event with a strong message on the role of policymakers in promoting genetic screening and enforcing preventive measures.
• Dr. Yasmeen Ehsan, Director General of the Punjab Thalassaemia & Other Genetic Diseases (PTGD) programme, highlighted the comprehensive services offered through the institute, including free carrier testing, genetic counseling, prenatal diagnosis, and DNA-based diagnostics. Dawn+1
• Prof. Dr. Iqbal Hussain Dogar, Principal of GMC, emphasized the importance of integrating thalassaemia education into medical and nursing curricula.
• Prof. Dr. Zulfiqar Ali, Head of the Pediatrics Department at GMC, underlined the clinical burden of thalassaemia and the long-term challenges faced by patients.
• Dr. Nayyar Imran Haider, Medical Superintendent of Gujranwala Teaching Hospital, spoke about improving patient care infrastructure for regular transfusions and chelation therapy.
• Mr. Faisal Sattar Mughal, Vice President of Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce & Industry, committed his organization’s support to community outreach and awareness campaigns.
• Mr. Haji Sarfraz Ahmad, Chairman of Sundas Foundation Gujranwala, shared his foundation’s ongoing work in supporting thalassaemia patients and stressed the value of civil society partnerships.
• Mr. Ali Hassan, CEO of Al-Qaim Foundation, pledged to expand genetic screening programs in underserved areas.
• Prof. Dr. Shazia Asharf, from the Gynecology & Obstetrics Department at GMC, and Assistant Prof. Dr. Saima Umar, from Pediatrics at GMC, delivered detailed presentations on the medical and social aspects of thalassaemia prevention.
