Chief Sai Inaugurates Sickle Cell and Thalassemia Awareness & HLA Matching Camp
Raipur, April 7
Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai today inaugurated the Sickle Cell, Thalassemia Awareness & HLA Matching Camp at the District Hospital in Jashpur. On this occasion, he met with children affected by sickle cell and thalassemia, as well as their families, to gather information regarding their treatment. The special camp saw participation not only from Jashpur district, but also from neighboring districts of Balrampur, Surguja, Surajpur, and Gumla district from Jharkhand, with children and families affected by sickle cell and thalassemia.
Experts from Bengaluru Arrived, Free HLA DNA Testing Conducted
At the camp, Dr. Sunil Bhatt, a bone marrow transplant expert from Narayana Hospital in Bengaluru, conducted free HLA DNA tests and consultations for children up to 12 years old. This test is necessary to identify suitable donors for bone marrow transplants.
Expensive Tests, Usually Done Abroad, Now Offered Free of Charge
At the camp, Mrs. Kajal Suresh Sachdev from the KAS Foundation raised awareness about sickle cell and thalassemia among children and their families. She explained that the Chhattisgarh government is providing not only free medicines and testing facilities for children suffering from these diseases, but also covering the costs of the very expensive HLA DNA tests (typically done in Germany) and complex procedures like bone marrow transplants in leading hospitals across the country.
Under the National Sickle Cell & Anemia Elimination Mission, 209 patients between the ages of 0-15 with sickle cell and thalassemia were identified in Jashpur district. Out of these, 110 children underwent HLA DNA tests and were selected for transplants. So far, 8 children have successfully undergone free bone marrow transplants.
It is noteworthy that under the National Sickle Cell & Anemia Elimination Mission, the district administration, health department, UNICEF, Sangwari organization, and KAS Foundation are working together to effectively eliminate sickle cell disease in the district.
On this occasion, several dignitaries were present, including Shri Rampratap Singh, Chairman of the Chhattisgarh Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, Shri Yashpratap Singh Judev, Vice President of the Municipal Corporation, Shri Bharat Singh, Divisional Commissioner Shri Narendra Dugga, IG Shri Ankit Garg, Collector Shri Rohit Vyas, SSP Shri Shashi Mohan Singh, and other public representatives.