The intervention phase of national task force project on sickle cell disease of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) run by Parikipandla Sridevi, Department of Biotechnology, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University was inaugurated in the presence of Member of Parliament from Shahdol Himadri Singh, District Magistrate & Collector Chandra Mohan Thakur, Vice Chancellor of IGNTU Prof. Prakash Mani Tripahti, CMHO Dr. B.D Sonwani, Dean Faculty of Science Prof. Bhuminath Tripathi, Registrar of IGNTU P Siluvainathan and Janpad Panchayat President Heera Singh Shyam.
While addressing the gathering Himadri singh (MP) stressed the need of diagnosis of Sickle cell disease in this region and further lauded the efforts of the ICMR- IGNTU working on capacity building of Govt. health care system for this genetic disease also assured that she would render the necessary help through government. District Collector Chandra Mohan Thakur highlighted that the tribal communities such as Gond, Biaga, Kol are the vulnerable sections to sickle cell disease and emphasized the importance of the testing, awareness and sensitization of this disease.
He also highlighted the need of blood donation camps that would help manage the sickle cell patients by blood transfusion. Prof Prakash Mani Tripathi. Hon’ble Vice Chancellor of the IGNTU stated though tribes have farms of high nutritional food, sickle cell anemia has major impact on these communities. Registrar P. Silvanathan said that majority of the tribes are malnourished, there is a need to strengthen them to tackle different diseases.
Programme Convener Parikipandla Sridevi presented the overall progress of the project and the action plan for another two years and on this occasion medical officers were honored by the Collector and the hemoglobin electrophoresis units and screening kits were distributed. The health workers who underwent training rendered by Scientist Dr. S.L. Balakrishna and team for SCD testing were given certificates. ANMS, ASHA, Anganwadi karyakartas, JSS NGO, University faculty, medical officers and officers of tribal development department participated in this event and the event concluded with a rally on Sickle cell disease from venue to the community health centre of Rajendragram.