State Health Minister Banna Gupta on the occasion of World Sickle Cell Day observed on June 19 addressed the inaugural ceremony of the State Level Program organised at Sadar Hospital Ranchi.

While addressing the gathering Gupta said that sickle cell is a genetic disease which is passed on from one generation to another and a concrete cure for this disease has not been found yet but its prevention is possible with information and awareness. Therefore, it is important that proper information about it reaches the people of the State.

Gupta said that so far ten lakh eighty seven thousand seven hundred fifty people have been screened in which sickle cell has been confirmed in 1890. “We have only one HLC machine which does the confirmatory test of sickle cell and soon this machine will be arranged in the Sadar Hospital of all 24 districts of the State. During the time of Covid, I had instructed the Health Department to test the patients for TB along with the True Net machine, so that we will be able to detect two diseases at the same time. To eliminate sickle cell, doctors will have to work with a similar strategy for the purpose of human welfare,” said Gupta.

Ranchi MLA CP Singh said that if there is a system of testing the disease at the village level, then the prevention of this disease will be more rapid and that with information, many diseases and epidemics can be prevented before time.

Campaign Director of National Health Mission, Alok Trivedi said that in India, where the disease of sickle cell anemia is more estimated, responsibility increases even more. Under this program, all people from zero to forty years of age are to be screened and identification of this disease as soon as possible will be helpful in preventing its further spread.

Trivedi further stated that the Government of India has set a target of screening 40 lakh people of the State this year out of which more than 25 percent of the target has been achieved within three months of this financial year. “Jharkhand is a tribal dominated state and initially sickle cell cases have been found more among the tribal community. In such a situation our responsibility increases even more, so that by screening more people than the set target, we can identify people suffering from this disease,” added Trivedi.

Director General Dr CK Sahi, Blood Cell In charge Dr John F Kennedy, State IEC Cell In charge Dr Lal Manjhi, Dr Kamlesh, Dr Uma Sinha, Civil Surgeon Dr Prabhat Kumar, State Program Manager Anima Kisku, State Human Resource Advisor Avni Prasad were also present for the program along with other employees and officers of the Health Department.