The Chief Minister of Tripura, Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha, inaugurated a program on World Thalassemia Day on May 8 at the Tripura Institute of Paramedical Science, Agartala.
The program was organized by the Indian Academy of Pediatrics, Tripura in collaboration with the National Health Mission, Tripura & Thalassemia Society, Agartala. The theme of this year’s event was “Be aware. Share. Care: Strengthening Education to bridge the Thalassemia care gap.”
Thalassemia is a genetic disease, and the Chief Minister stressed the importance of public awareness in controlling it. He explained that generating public awareness is crucial to controlling the disease, along with providing advanced treatment to Thalassemia patients. The Chief Minister urged people to get their blood tested before marriage to prevent the disease. He also emphasized the importance of showing a birth certificate to prevent child marriage, not just to identify Thalassemia or Hemophilia disease.
Approximately 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh people in India suffer from Thalassemia, and approximately 5 crore Indians are carriers of the disease. Each year, about 10 to 15 thousand children suffer from severe cases such as Beta-thalassemia. At present, approximately 383 Thalassemia patients in Tripura are being provided with blood.
The Chief Minister stated that today’s students are the future of tomorrow and play a vital role in reducing the number of patients by creating awareness among people regarding Thalassemia. He hoped that with everyone’s cooperation, it would be possible to control Thalassemia and Hemophilia diseases.
Dr. Debashish Basu, Secretary of the Health & Family Welfare Department, discussed Thalassemia disease and its effects. He called upon everyone to come forward to build Thalassemia-free Tripura and a Thalassemia-free world through more public awareness. Dr. Subhasish Debbarma, Director of Tripura Health Services, said that approximately 42 thousand units of blood are required every year in the state, and about 3 thousand units of blood are needed for Thalassemia patients.
The Principal of the Tripura Institute of Paramedical Science, Prof. (Dr.) Chanda Banerjee, Principal of Nursing Prof. Rita Bhattacharjee, and Secretary of Thalassemia Society, Agartala Division, Sitesh Bhattacharjee also spoke on the occasion. The president of Indian Academy of Pediatrics, Tripura Division, Dr. Swapna Sinha, delivered the vote of thanks.
The program on World Thalassemia Day aimed to increase public awareness about Thalassemia disease, its effects, and the ways to control it. The Chief Minister emphasized that awareness is crucial to reducing the number of patients and called upon everyone to cooperate in building a Thalassemia-free Tripura and the world.
