PUNJAB THALASSEMIA PREVENTION ACT 2025

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THE PUNJAB THALASSEMIA PREVENTION ACT 2025 
(XXVII of 2025) 
CONTENTS 
1. Short title, extent and commencement 
2. Definitions 
3. Advisory Council 
4. Powers and functions of the Council  
5. Remuneration  
6. Technical Advisory Committee  
7. Category of a test  
8. Consent Form  
9. Fee  
10. Laboratories 
11. Confidentiality of information  
12. Responsibility of PITB 
13. Responsibility of head of an Institution  
14. Responsibility of a Board 
15. Implementation and Monitoring  
16. Violation of provisions of this Act 
17. Fund of the Council 
18. Audit and Accounts 
19. Delegation of powers  
20. Power to make rules  
21. Power to frame regulations 
22. Offence to be punishable and triable  
23. Cognizance of an offence  
24. Act to override other laws  
25. Indemnity  
26. Removal of difficulties 
  
TEXT 
1
THE PUNJAB THALASSEMIA PREVENTION ACT 2025 
(XXVII of 2025) 
[2nd May, 2025] 
An 
Act 
to make provisions for the control and prevention of Thalassemia and other genetic 
orders. 
Preamble.– WHEREAS early detection, prevention and management of thalassemia 
and related genetic disorders are essential to reduce the burden of these conditions on 
the healthcare system;  
It is hereby enacted as follows:  
1. Short title, extent and commencement .– (1) This Act may be cited as the 
Punjab Thalassemia Prevention Act 2025.  
(2) It extends to whole of the Punjab.  
(3) It shall come into force at once.  
2. Definitions.– In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant to the subject or 
context:  
(a) “Board” means the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education 
established under the Punjab Boards of Intermediate and Secondary 
Education Act, 1976 (XIII of 1976);  
(b) “Chairperson” means the Chairperson of the Council;  
(c) “Council” means the Council notified under section 3 of this Act;  
(d) “data” means the data generated in consequence of a sample or test;  
(e) “Department” means the Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education 
Department;  
(f) “Government” means Government of the Punjab;  
(g) “Institution” means a public or private school or college and includes Deeni 
Madaras either registered with any board in the Punjab;  
(h) “laboratory” means a public or private sector laboratory notified under this 
Act; 
(i) “member” means a member of the Council; 
(j) “PITB” means the Punjab Infor mation Technology Board established under 
the Punjab Information Technology Board Ordinance 1999 (XLIV of 1999); 
(k) “PPC” means Pakistan Penal Code; 
(l) “prescribed” means prescribed by the rules or the regulations; 
(m) “regulations” means the regulations framed under this Act; 
(n) “rules” means the rules made under this Act; 
                                    
1This Act was passed by Provincial Assembly of the Punjab on 22 April 2025; and was assented to by Governor of the Punjab on 02 
May 2025; and was published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 02 May 2025, pp. 4273-4277. 
(o) “school” means a public or private school and includes Deeni Madaras 
registered under the relevant laws; and 
(p) “student” means a student registered with any Board. 
3. Advisory Council.– (1) There shall be an Advisory Council to be notified by the 
Department after approval by the Government comprising the following:  
1)  Minister for Specialized Healthcare & Medical 
Education  
Chairperson 
2)  Minister for Health & Population Department  Member 
3)  Parliamentary Secretary, Specialized Healthcare & 
Medical Education 
Member 
4)  Two members, including one female member , of 
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab  to be nominated 
by the Speaker of the Assembly;  
Members 
5)  Secretary, Specialized Healthcare & Medical 
Education Department 
Secretary 
6)  Secretary/Special Secretary (Operations), Health & 
Population Department  
Member 
7)  Secretary/Special Secretary (Operations), Higher 
Education Department  
Member 
8)  Secretary/Special Secretary (Operations), School 
Education Department  
Member 
9)  Secretary/Special Secretary (Operations), Local 
Government  and Community Development  
Department  
Member 
10)  Secretary/Special Secretary (Operations), Auqaf &  
Religious Affairs Department  
Member 
11)  Additional Secretary (Technical) Specialized 
Healthcare & Medical Education Department  
Member 
12)  Vice Chancellor, University of Child Health 
Sciences, Children’s Hospital, Lahore  
Member 
13)  CEO, Punjab Healthcare Commission Member 
14)  DG, Punjab Thalassemia & other Genetic Disorders 
Prevention Program 
Member 
15)  Director, CEMB  Member 
16)  One Representative of Public & Private  Schools (to 
be nominated by SED)  
Member 
17)  One Professor of Hematology, nominated by the 
Department  
Member 
(2) Ten Members, including Chairperson or the person presiding the meeting, 
shall constitute the quorum for a meeting of the Council, and the Council shall make a 
decision by majority of its members present and voting, and in case of a tie, the 
Chairperson or the member presiding the meeting shall have a casting vote.  
(3) The Council shall meet at least once in three months and its meeting shall 
be held at such place, date and time as the Chairperson or the person nominated to 
preside over the meeting may determine.  
(4) The Chairperson or, in his absence, any member nominated by him shall 
preside over the meeting of the Council.  
4. Powers and functions of the Council .– (1) The Council may recommend to the 
Government for  effective system of genetic counseling and diagnostic facilities 
accessible to the students of Punjab and take such measures to encourage them to fully 
utilize it. 
(2) All individuals tested for the disease(s), if found carrier of trait, shall be 
given counseling regarding their marrying someone carrying rate and risk of passing on 
the disease(s) to their offspring.  
(3) Advisory Council will facilitate early diagnosis, management, complication 
and prevention of disease(s) through updated education about the latest tests, active role 
of Punjab Healthcare Commission in the whole process and creation of huge data bank 
for further policy making.  
(4) Advisory Council will place a substantive mechanism for formulating tests 
to be done for the said disease(s) and the referred laboratories, either public or private.  
(5) Accreditation of the said laboratories will be the sole responsibility of the 
Advisory Council.  
(6) The target population and the age group who are to undergo testing will be 
determined by the Advisory Council.  
(7) Advisory Council will ensure check on the quality control of Laboratories.  
(8) The Council will regulate rate of the tests prescribed for the said disease(s).  
(9) A mechanism will be devised by the Advisory Council for proper referral 
system.  
(10) The Council may recommend inclusion of thalassemia diagnosed children 
in the list of special children and may also recommend issuance of special health cards 
for their treatments at public and private hospitals.  
(11) The Council will further recommend registration  of thalassemia diagnosed 
children in NADRA at the time of issuance of form -B or smart card or CNIC and would 
recommend to make arrangements for provision of financial assistance to the 
thalassemia children.  
5. Remuneration.– No remuneration shall be paid to the members of the Council.  
6. Technical Advisory Committee .– The C ouncil shall, for a specified period, 
constitute a Technical Advisory Committee, consisting of the following:  
a) Additional Secretary (Technical) of the Specialized Healthcare and Medical 
Education Department; 
b) Additional Secretary (Technical) of the Health & Population  Department; 
c) a representative of Secretary, School Education Department not below the 
rank of Deputy Secretary; 
d) a representative of Secretary, Higher Education Department not  below the 
rank of Deputy Secretary; 
e) Secretary, Punjab Blood Transfusion Authority, Punjab; 
f) Director, Institute of Blood Transfusion Services, Punjab; 
g) a representative of Punjab Healthcare Commission; 
h) One Professor of Medicine to be nominated by Advisory Council;  
i) One Professor of Hematology to be nominated by Advisory Council;  
j) One Professor of Pediatrics to be nominated by Advisory Council;  
k) a representative of the Thalassemia organizations, to be nominated by the 
Advisory Council; 
l) a representative of PITB; and  
m) a legal expert.  
7. Category of a test.– The Department shall, after approval by the Government, on 
the recommendation of the Advisory Council, notify a category of test or more than one 
category of test, as the case may be, in the official Gazette.  
8. Consent Form.– Advisory Council shall formulate the proforma containing all the 
parameters required for the informed consent.  
9. Fee.– Price fixation shall be done through the Punjab Healthcare Commission 
under provision of “PRICING  OF HEALTHCARE SERVICES REGULATION 2021” ; 
provided that the Government may make arrangements for free of cost testing facility for 
the purpose.  
10. Laboratories.– (1) No laboratory or its authorized person shall take sample or 
conduct test of a student under this Act unless it is notified by the Department on the 
recommendation of the Council.  
(2) The laboratory shall conduct the test in accordance with the standards a nd 
procedures as may be prescribed by the Department on the recommendation of the 
Council.  
(3) A laboratory shall, after taking the sample or conducting the test, as the 
case may be, issue acknowledgment receipt to the student at once and forward its 
duplicate copy to the head of the concerned institution within three working days.  
(4) The laboratory shall conclude the test within ten days from taking the 
sample and forward its result to the Punjab Information Technology Board electronically 
within five days after its conclusion.  
(5) The laboratory shall maintain the confidentiality of the results and shall not 
share it or any relevant information with any unauthorized person.  
11. Confidentiality of information .– No one shall share the information whether 
personal or medical, with any other individual or collective, personal or medical to any 
Medical Company, Pharmaceutical company, local donor, international donor, 
local/international NGOs/INGOs or any other entit y without the approval of the 
Government.  
12. Responsibility of PITB .– (1) The PITB shall establish a separate portal for 
receiving and maintaining the data from the laboratories under this Act.  
(2) The data of the test received from the laboratories shall be k ept in the 
custody of the PITB and its secrecy shall be maintained.  
13. Responsibility of head of an Institution .– The head of an institution shall 
ensure that students enrolled in the institution, has provided the sample or undergone a 
test under this Act b y a notified laboratory at the time of enrollment or submission of 
forms to the Board, whichever is earlier.  
14. Responsibility of a Board .– A Board shall, before registration of student, ensure 
that the receipt regarding provision of a sample or conduct of test under this Act is 
enclosed with the form for registration. 
15. Implementation and Monitoring .– The Council, Specialized Healthcare and 
Medical Education Department, School Education Department, Higher Education 
Department, Punjab Healthcare Commission an d Board shall be responsible for 
implementation of the provisions of this act and monitoring thereunder.  
16. Violation of provisions of this Act .– (1) If a Government employee is found 
involved in violation of any provision of this Act, he shall be proceeded against under the 
Punjab Employees Efficiency and Disciplinary Accountability Act 2006 (XII of 2006).  
(2) If a Government employee is found involved in unauthorized release of 
information of the data or generation of a fake result, he shall be liable to be prosecuted 
under this Act and the Punjab Employees Efficiency and Disciplinary Accountability Act 
2006 (XII of 2006).  
(3) In case an employee of a private laboratory notified under this Act is found 
involved in unauthorized release of information of the data or generation of a fake result, 
he shall be liable to be proceeded against under PPC and the Labs involved in any 
malpractice shall face proceedings which may include blacklisting.  
17. Fund of the Council.– (1) The Government shall establish a fund. 
(2) The Council shall maintain the fund in the prescribed manner.  
(3) The fund shall consists of:  
(a) grants received from the Government through budgetary allocations;  
(b) income received from tests fees and all other sums received by the 
Council;  
(c) money received from the Federal Government or any international 
organization by way of grant, loan, advance or others;  
(d) money received from the disposal of movable and immovable p roperty of 
the Council;  
(e) and any other money received by the Council.  
18. Audit and Accounts .– (1) The Council shall maintain complete and accurate 
books of accounts of its actual expenses and receipts in the manner prescribed.  
(2) The Council shall approve the  annual budget of the Authority in the 
prescribed manner.  
(3) The accounts of the Council shall be audited annually by the Auditor 
General of Pakistan.  
19. Delegation of powers .– The Council may delegate any of its functions to 
committee or any other officer of the Council except the following functions:  
(a) framing of regulations;  
(b) approval of budget of the Council in addition to the budget allocated by the 
Government; and  
(c) making of policies.  
20. Power to make rules .– (1) The Government may, by notification in the official 
Gazette, on the recommendation of the Council , make rules for carrying out the 
purposes of this Act.  
(2) Notwithstanding the generality of the power provided under sub-section (1), 
Government may make rules for the purposes of this Act.  
21. Power to frame regulations .– The Council may, subject to the provisions of this 
Act and the rules made thereunder , and after approval by the Government, frame 
regulations for conduct of its business. 
22. Offence to be punishable and triable .– Notwithstanding anything contained in 
the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, an offence punishable under this Act shall be 
bailable and triable under the provisions of this Act by a Judicial Magistrate.  
23. Cognizance of an offence .– No court shall take cognizance of an offence under 
this Act except upon a complaint in writing by the Secretary, Specialized Healthcare and 
Medical Education Department or Chief Executive Officer, District Health Authority or any 
officer on their behalf authorized by them.   
24. Act to override other laws .– This Act shall have effect notwithstanding anything 
contained in any other law for the time being in force.  
25. Indemnity.– No suit, prosecution or other legal proceeding shall be made against 
any person for anything which is done in good faith or intended to be done under this 
Act.  
26. Removal of difficulties .– If any difficulty arises in giving effect to any of the 
provisions of this Act, Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, make such 
order not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, as it may consider necessary for the 
purpose of removal of difficulty.