Punjab makes Thalassemia test mandatory for students seeking admission

The Punjab Assembly has passed the Punjab Thalassemia Prevention Act 2025, mandating Thalassemia testing for all students at the time of admission to educational institutions across the province.

Under the new legislation, an advisory council will be established to review the test reports. These reports must be submitted to educational boards along with admission forms.

The Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) will develop a centralized database of all test results, and unauthorized sharing of this confidential data will result in strict penalties.

According to the Act, laboratories are required to send test results to the PITB within ten days.

The government has also decided to provide free testing facilities for underprivileged families.

Special registration and financial support for affected individuals will soon be arranged in collaboration with NADRA.

Students identified with genetic conditions will receive counseling, as experts warn that hereditary diseases like Thalassemia and Hemophilia are often transmitted through cousin marriages and can only be prevented through timely testing.

The law has come into immediate effect and applies to all public and private educational institutions across Punjab. The bill will now be presented to the Governor of Punjab for final approval.