Keshab Mahanta Inaugurates Thalassemia Screening Camps For Children At GMCH

HT Bureau

GUWAHATI, Nov 15: Thalassemia screening camps for children below 14 years of age was centrally inaugurated at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) by Health and Family Welfare minister, Keshab Mahanta on Tuesday.

In his welcome address, principal of GMCH, Dr Achyut Baishya said, “Thalassemia Support Scheme for children below 14 years of age would be very much beneficial for the children suffering from Thalassemia and all support to the Thalassemia patients will be provided from GMCH.”

Speaking on the occasion as the chief guest, Keshab Mahanta said, “Thalassemia Support Scheme for children was conceived and planned by the then Health minister and the present chief minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma and I am very much thankful to him for being able to implement the scheme during my tenure. In the first phase we are taking the children below 14 years of age and in times to come we will try to ensure that Thalassemia patients of other age groups also avail similar benefits.”

He further expressed hope that in Tuesday’s screening camps which are being held in 7 numbers of medical colleges across Assam, maximum numbers of children get screened and Government will take necessary steps to ensure that they get the best of the best treatment.

Assam State Blood Transfusion Council (ASBTC) under the aegis of Health and Family Welfare department, Government of Assam has organised Thalassemia Screening Camps for children below 14 years of age in seven medical colleges and hospitals across Assam on Tuesday from 9 am onwards.

It may be mentioned that Thalassemia Support Scheme for children below 14 years of age was launched on 1^st October during National Voluntary Blood Donation Day. To bring more patients under the ambit of this scheme, Thalassemia screening camps are being organised at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Assam Medical College and Hospital, Silchar Medical College and Hospital, Lakhimpur Medical College and Hospital, Tezpur Medical College and Hospital, Fakhruddin Ali Medical College and Hospital, Barpeta and Jorhat Medical College and Hospital.