The SCH has set up stalls at shopping malls to provide detailed information about the tests to the visitors and clear their doubts.
Trained nurses are available at the stalls to interact with the visitors and answer to their queries. Informative posters, flyers, booklets, and CDs about pre-marital screening are also being distributed to the visitors.
A video highlighting the importance and procedures of the screening has been shown at these stalls. The stalls are open from 5pm to 9pm daily and from 2pm to 10pm during the week-ends.
“These stalls have been attracting a good number of visitors daily. One of the most frequently asked questions by the visitors is regarding the confidentiality of the tests,” SCH said in a statement yesterday.
SCH has already made it clear that the special committee dealing with pre-marital tests will ensure strict confidentiality to protect the rights of all the concerned parties.
Physicians and paramedical staff, such as nurses, lab technicians and others should strictly abide by the commitment not disclose any medical secrets that come to their knowledge.
Regarding the individuals intending to get married and their relatives who are subject to the medical examination process, a special non-disclosure declaration is developed to be signed by both parties to maintain confidentiality.
The screening aims to prevent the spread of hereditary, genetic and communicable diseases in the society and create a more healthy future generation.
The inherited and contagious diseases included in pre-marital screening are: sickle cell ; hemoglobin abnormalities, i.e. thalassemia and sickle cell; testing the clotting factor to discover Hemophilia (A &B) if there is a family history or any medical indicators of the disease; syphilis, HIV (AIDS), hepatitis B & C. The tests have been conducted in five primary health care centers- Airport, Rayyan, Gharrafa, West Bay, Al Khor.