Latest news with #ChandrakalaS
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Maharashtra to request Centre to include thalassemia under National Sickle Cell Disease Programme
Maharashtra Health Minister Prakash Abitkar has announced that the government would request the Union health ministry to include thalassemia under the National Sickle Cell Disease Programme, a move aimed at extending structured Central government benefits such as free diagnosis, treatment and welfare schemes to thalassemia patients. Thalassemia is one of the common hereditary blood disorders that impair the body's ability to make hemoglobin and healthy red blood cells. Untreated thalassemia can result in medical complications which may lead to death. The pre-natal test that is available in private health centres costs nearly Rs1,500, which many parents, especially those belonging to vulnerable communities, can't afford. Dr Chandrakala S, Head of Hematology at KEM Hospital, told Indian Express that nearly 100 adults and 100 children with thalassemia are currently under care in her department. 'Most of them are dependent on blood transfusions every month, starting from six months of age. Yet awareness about thalassemia is very, very low, not just among the public but even among many general physicians,' she said, while explaining the need for greater state support for early diagnosis and treatment. Carriers, who have a thalassemia trait, do not show symptoms and are often unaware unless specific blood tests such as HPLC are conducted. A recent study found that thalassemia prevalence among paediatric ward patients in Mumbai is nearly 6.2 percent. However, routine premarital and antenatal screening is rarely done. 'Screening happens on a case-to-case basis, not uniformly. Over 80 percent of severe cases I see in children are from couples who never realised they were both carriers,' said Dr Chandrakala.
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
KEM 1st govt hosp to get adult marrow transplant
Mumbai: Nearly a year after a proposal was first made by BMC, KEM Hospital received official approval to establish a bone marrow transplant (BMT) centre. This will be the first such facility at a public hospital in Mumbai to serve both adults and children. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now BMT is a procedure that replaces damaged or diseased bone marrow with healthy stem cells that can come from the patient (autologous transplant) or a donor (allogeneic transplant). Hospital dean Dr Sangeeta Rawat inaugurated the site within the hospital premises where the new facility will be built. She said the centre will be funded through corporate social responsibility contributions, with treatment costs covered through a combination of donations and govt healthcare schemes. Construction is slated to begin soon, but it will take a year for the four-bed facility to be functional. The only other BMT in the city that covers adults is at Tata Memorial Hospital; but it is only for cancer patients. Dr Chandrakala S, who heads the haematology department at the hospital, said, "The need for BMT extends beyond cancer. It includes patients with aplastic anaemia, sickle cell disease, some autoimmune disorders, and even thalassemia major." She said most of such transplant centres are at private hospitals, and the costs can be upwards of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 12 lakh. "We see so many adult patients who need BMT, but cannot avail it only because there is no affordable facility in the city," she added.
