New Delhi: The Vice President, M. Venkaiah Naidu today highlighted the importance of preventive measures to address the huge burden of genetic diseases like thalassemia and sickle cell anemia in the country. He wanted the states to undertake mass screening of the children for early identification and management of genetic disorders.
Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the Research Laboratory, Advanced Diagnostic Laboratory and 2nd Blood Transfusion Unit at the Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Society (TSCS) in Hyderabad today, the Vice President urged the private sector and NGOs to complement the government’s efforts in combating genetic diseases. Recognizing that the available treatment options for these genetic conditions– bone marrow transplantation or regular blood transfusion – are cost intensive and distressing to the child, Shri Naidu called for a comprehensive approach to address the health challenge of Thalassemia and sickle cell anemia.
Stressing the need to address the shortage of trained human resources in healthcare on war footing, he suggested making rural service mandatory for young doctors before getting admission to PG courses. “Scaling up e-Health initiatives in rural areas using digital tools is another cost effective method for making healthcare accessible to all,” he added.
The Vice President praised the members of Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Society for their noble work towards eradicating these diseases from the country. Chandrakant Agrawal, President, Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Society, Ratnavali K., Vice President, TSCS, Dr. Suman Jain, Chief Medical Research Officer and Secretary, TSCS, Ms. Azra Fathima, Clinic Psychologist, TSCS, donors of the Society, doctors, and other eminent personalities attended the event.
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