International Thalassemia Day will be celebrated in PGI

of the institute campus. Thalassemia is a common genetic disorder where a person is born with an impaired ability to produce blood cells and requires blood transfusions two to four times a week throughout his life and additional medications to remove iron from the body. Have to depend. India has the highest number of thalassemia patients in the world, with 1-1.5 lakh affected individuals.

The Department of Medical Genetics of the Institute has been one of the first centers in Uttar Pradesh to develop facilities for carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis of Thalassemia Major along with genetic diagnosis and routine blood transfusion. The Department of Medical Genetics and Transfusion Medicine has been providing blood transfusion and supportive care to Thalassemia patients for over 3 decades with minimal requirement of blood donation from affected families. Funding by the National Health Mission provides free treatment to patients, reducing their financial burden.

The commitment of patients, their families, and physicians towards their healing and care has shown inspiring results. With the availability of better management over the years, the quality of life of patients has improved significantly. More than 400 thalassemia patients are under regular monitoring in the Department of Medical Genetics. Many of them are doing well in their lives with good education and jobs and actively contributing to society. Thalassemia Society, Lucknow has been working continuously for more than two decades and providing financial and psychological support to families.

The theme of International Thalassemia Day, 2024 is: “Empowering Lives, Embracing Progress: Equitable and accessible treatment of Thalassemia for all”. To spread this message, thalassemia patients, their caregivers, and doctors will gather at the institute on 8 May 2024. Children and adults suffering from Thalassemia, some of whom are above 30 years of age, will participate in the event to spread enthusiasm and positivity. All those people suffering from this disease who have achieved milestones in their lives will be honored.

Director of the Institute, Dr. R. With the blessings of Dr. K. Dhiman and Deputy General Manager of National Health Mission, Dr. AB Singh, through this program, Thalassemia patients will be made aware about the treatment. Convenors of Thalassemia Societies from cities like Kanpur and Gorakhpur will also share their experiences in day-to-day management and Thalassemia warriors who have achieved educational and other achievements in various fields will be felicitated.