LAHORE: The National Assembly may soon introduce legislation regarding pre-marital blood screening to control the spread of HIV/AIDS, Thalassemia, Hepatitis and other diseases that are transmitted through genetic abnormalities; blood transmission; and sexual relations, sources within the National Assembly said on Tuesday.

They said the government would impose stern punishment to enforce the law, which would be binding on every Pakistani couple. The punishments would range from a fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 100,000; six months to a year’s imprisonment; or both. Parliament is also planning on adding a provision to the law to collect the medical history of all Pakistanis deported from foreign countries, especially the Middle East, upon their arrival at airports. The sources said this was necessary as many people are deported from Middle Eastern countries after being found positive for HIV, hepatitis C, etc. Such people rarely inform the government or their families of these conditions to escape stigma and can thus spread the infections, they added.

The parliamentary sources said the law would be implemented through the thousands of basic health units (BHUs) functioning throughout the country. They said the officials working in these BHUs to keep a check on people violating the law.

The Standing Committee for Health in the National Assembly is due to meet today (Wednesday) to discuss the final timetable for placement of the bill before parliament and conduct a final debate on its pros and cons. According to committee Chairman Yasmeen Rehman, they would also discuss the issue of spurious drugs; shortage of life-saving medicine; and the high prices of medicines being sold by multinational companies.

She told Daily Times the committee had already drawn up the outline and major clauses of pre-marital blood screening law. She said passage of this law would ensure the safety of future generations from several deadly diseases.

Source: Daily Times

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The Middle East’s largest automaker has unveiled a four-door sedan, claiming its engine is the world’s most powerful run by natural gas. It’s a significant development in a country that has converted more than 250,000 cars to run on the stuff.

The company, Iran Khodro, says the turbocharged engine in the Samand Soren ELX produces 150 horsepower, 37 more than the CNG-powered Honda Civic GX and just four short of the gasoline-burning four-cylinder Toyota Camry.

Iran Khodro unveiled the car Saturday in Tehran, and the Tehran Times says it was developed “under the intellectual property of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” which explains why there was a picture of the Ayatollah looking over the car.

Company CEO Manouchehr Manteqi says the car meets Euro IV emissions standards and adds, “its nominal power will not decline even at the height of 2,000 meters above sea level.” That’s 6,561 feet for the metrically challenged, and it’s significant because Tehran, like Denver, is located about 5,000 feet above sea level.

Manteqi didn’t offer any other details on the car, but the Samand LX uses a 1.7-liter four-cylinder that produces 100 horsepower. It does 0 to 62 mph in 11.9 seconds and tops out at 115 mph.

Iran Khodro is partially owned by the government, and it has a joint venture with Peugeot to build the Logan econobox (sold in Iran as the Tondar 90) and the 206 compact and 405 sedan. Although the global auto industry is slumping, Iran Khodro plans to ramp up production and ease its dependence on foreign suppliers, according to Reuters.

Tehran, a city of 12 million people, has long been plagued by pollution. That’s changed in recent years as the city has adopted natural gas buses, forced taxis to convert to CNG and taken decrepit old cars off the road. More than 250,000 cars have been converted to natural gas since 2004, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Source: Autopia from Wired
Photo: Associated Press

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Original source: Express News

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