Premarital tests to check hereditary blood diseases
The Ministry of Transport and Communications on Monday dedicated to the nation the Batinah Expressway Project that will connect nine wilayats and three governorates of Muscat, South and North Al Batinah.
Batinah Expressway, the largest road project in the history of the Sultanate, starts at the end of Muscat Expressway in Halban, Muscat, and ends at Khatmat Malaha in the Wilayat of Shinas in the Governorate of North Al Batinah with a length of 270 km.
The project, implemented in line with the highest international standards, will have four lanes in each direction with a width of 75.3 metres, per lane 23 interchanges, 17 flyover bridges and 12 underpasses, 11,400 lampposts and over 250,000 ground reflectors.
Speaking of the importance of the project, Jamal Aziz, Deputy CEO, Sohar Port, said Batinah Expressway will play an important role in terms of flow of investment and efficient movement of goods to and from Suhar. The Ministry of Health (MOH), in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, is expanding the hereditary blood disease medical check-ups intended for premarital tests now to include 11th grade students in the Sultanate’s schools.
Students shall be examined at the primary healthcare institutions in coordination with school administrations making sure that the student must carry out checkups before moving to the 12th grade.
The percentage of children born with genetic diseases and congenital malformations is at 7 per cent, the percentage of people with sickle cell anaemia is 0.3 per cent, and those with thalassemia are 0.08 per cent. The current numbers in the Sultanate are estimated at 6,000 with sickle cell anaemia and 2,000 with thalassemia.
THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH IS EXPANDING THE CHECK-UPS INTENDED FOR PREMARITAL TESTS NOW TO INCLUDE 11TH GRADE STUDENTS IN THE SULTANATE’S SCHOOLS