04-08-2025
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.
