PGI of Child Health, Noida Department of Medical Education, Govt of UP Celebrate International Thalassemia Day 2024

Noida: Post Graduate Institute of Child Health, celebrated international thalassemia day in the hospital today with more than 150 thalassemic children and their families. The institute is a tertiary care center for children with thalassemia from diagnosis till bone marrow transplantation.

Dr Silky Jain, Assistant Professor welcomed the gathering and briefly described the treatment 
available for thalassemia including bone marrow transplantation. The theme of this year is 
Equitable treatment for all.

Through National Health Mission, MOHFW, most states are now given treatment support for 
thalassemia. PGICH established Integrated Center for Hemophilias and Hemoglobinopathies in 2018 after which more than 360 patients are now registered and receive support for transfusions, chelation, multidisciplinary care and bone marrow transplantation.

The center has also been receiving support from Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi and Asadhya Rog Nidhi for stem cell transplantation. The center coordinates with patient organisations for bridging the gap if any like motivating voluntary blood donors, free HLA typing for patients and families etc. 

The Chief Guest, Shri Harsh Mangla IAS, Director NHM spoke to the gathering about services available for patients through NHM and congratulated the institute on all the progress made. 

The Guest of Honour, Smt. Vinita Srivastava, Advisor, Ministry of Tribal Affairs spoke about how services was developed for thalassemia in India and how more and more families are now supported through these schemes. 

Prof AK Singh, Director, PGICH in his address mentioned the need to make genetic services 
available for thalassemia carrier couples to reduce the incidence of thalassemia in the country.

In a video message released by Hon. Chief Secretary Shri DS Mishra IAS, he commented on the progress made in the care of thalassemia patients in the state of UP over the last few years. 

The center at PGICH Noida, is now taking care of children not only from UP but is a referral center for many other states in North India and that a state-of-the-art bone marrow transplantation center with a capacity to take more patients will be functional soon, thus reducing the waiting time for BMT patients. 

In his video message, Principal Secretary, Shri Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma, IAS congratulated 
the institute on the progress and by providing all services under one roof, the institute has 
become a boon for patients with thalassemia and other blood diseases. 

The institute felicitated the grassroot workers in the field of thalassemia like Smt Shobha Tuli 
(Thalassemics India), Dr JS Arora (National Thalassemia Welfare Society), Dr JB Sardana 
(Thalassemia Society Bareilly), Shri Jitendra Paruthi (Vanshika Thalassemia Society) and Smt. 
Manju Singh (Counselor, Thalassemia services, PGICH). 

This was followed by performances by children, puppet show by Mr Ajeet Bhatia (on the theme 
of thalassemia), prize distribution for panting competition for children.