Contemporary thalassaemia specialty unit inaugurated at Ludhiana's civil medical facility
In a significant stride towards eradicating thalassemia, the Punjab government is focusing on early diagnosis, treatment, prevention programs, and financial aid schemes for curative treatments like bone marrow transplants (BMT). The state, which accounts for around 6% of India's national thalassemia burden, is taking proactive measures to combat this disease.
One of the key initiatives is the Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY), a partnership between the government and Coal India Limited. This scheme provides financial assistance of up to Rs 10 lakh for eligible patients undergoing BMT, a curative treatment for thalassemia. Multiple empanelled hospitals across India, including those in Punjab, have been designated to perform BMTs under the TBSY program, ensuring access to advanced treatment facilities.
The government is also prioritizing affordable drug supply for essential iron chelation therapies like Desferrioxamine, Deferiprone, and Deferasirox. These drugs are provided at public health centers to manage iron overload resulting from frequent blood transfusions in thalassemia patients.
Awareness campaigns and early diagnosis strategies are being implemented to help reduce thalassemia incidence. The government and NGOs are educating families about the disease and encouraging prenatal diagnosis and carrier screening. Efforts are also being made to improve access to stem cell transplant-related procedures, such as high-resolution HLA typing, through free or subsidized services for low-income families.
Blood transfusion safety and availability remain a priority. The government is working to strengthen blood supply chains and screening protocols, ensuring the safety and availability of blood for regular transfusions, a crucial aspect of thalassemia management.
Recently, the Punjab health and family welfare minister, Dr Balbir Singh, inaugurated a new thalassemia ward at Lord Mahavir Civil Hospital in Ludhiana. The ward, supported by the Philanthropy Club, offers comprehensive care, including regular blood transfusions, specialized counselling, and modern treatment. The new facility aims to serve hundreds of patients from Ludhiana and surrounding areas.
The thalassemia ward at Lord Mahavir Civil Hospital is seen as a symbol of hope, compassion, and progress. Bone marrow transplant services are a part of the mission to eradicate thalassaemia in Punjab. The state government is committed to investing in modern healthcare infrastructure, expert medical teams, and patient support services.
While Maharashtra is seeking to include thalassemia under a national health programme, Punjab already has programs integrated with national and CSR-funded initiatives to improve patient care. With these initiatives, Punjab is moving towards the goal of eradicating thalassaemia, following the lead of many other countries that have already achieved this.
20,000 Asha workers and nursing students are actively working across the state to control vector-borne diseases. However, no new information was provided about the number of patients the thalassemia ward serves or its location beyond being in Ludhiana.
The event was attended by MLAs Ashok Prashar Pappi, Kulwant Singh Sidhu, SDM Jasleen Kaur Bhular, civil surgeon Dr Ramandeep Kaur, Dicky Chabbra, Vimmy Bajaj, Anu Gupta, Simrat Kathuria, Jazz Bhogal, and Nisha Sharma.
- The Indian government, in collaboration with the state government of Punjab, is focusing on eradicating thalassemia, a chronic disease, through initiatives like early diagnosis, treatment, prevention programs, and financial aid schemes.
- The government's proactive measures include the Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY), a partnership between the government and Coal India Limited, which offers financial assistance for bone marrow transplants (BMT), a curative treatment for thalassemia.
- In addition to BMT, the government is prioritizing affordable drug supply for essential iron chelation therapies like Desferrioxamine, Deferiprone, and Deferasirox, providing these drugs at public health centers to manage iron overload in thalassemia patients.
- To increase awareness and reduce the incidence of thalassemia, the government and NGOs are implementing awareness campaigns, educating families about the disease, and encouraging prenatal diagnosis and carrier screening.
- The government is also working to improve access to stem cell transplant-related procedures, such as high-resolution HLA typing, through free or subsidized services for low-income families.
- Recognizing the importance of mental health in overall health and wellness, the government is committed to investing in modern healthcare infrastructure, expert medical teams, and patient support services, including regular blood transfusions, specialized counselling, and modern treatment, as demonstrated by the new thalassemia ward at Lord Mahavir Civil Hospital in Ludhiana.
