Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Society, Marham organise Thalassemia symposium
The event was aimed to raise awareness about Thalassemia, a critical issue affecting countless families worldwide
The Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Society (TSCS) and Marham have conducted a one-of-its-kind support and screening symposium on Thalassemia in Hyderabad. The event was aimed to raise awareness about thalassemia, a critical issue affecting countless families worldwide, and emphasised the significance of prevention through prenatal diagnosis to ensure a future free from Thalassemia.
Distinguished experts and prominent doctors in the field of medicine graced the symposium with their presence and shared their invaluable insights. Dr Manjula Anagani, Consultant obstetrician & Gynecologist Clinical Director & HOD, Care Hospital, Dr Ramana Dandamudi, Pediatric Hematologist & Oncologist, Little Star Hospital, Dr Balamba, Senior Consultant Obstetrician & Gynecologist, Shalini Hospital, Dr Prajnya Ranganath, Add Professor& HOD, Medical Genetics (NIMS), Dr Krishna RSV, Consultant Pediatrics, Ankura Hospital, Gachibowli, Dr Isha Polavarapu, MD Immunohematology & Blood Transfusion Consultant, Yashoda Hospital, Dr Chinmayee Ratha, Foetal Medicine Specialist, A senior Gynaecologist from Mumbai Dr PG Natrajan along with Dr Suman Jain, Chief Medical Research Officer & CEO, TSCS, Hyderabad have participated in the panel talk.
Dr Chandrakant Agarwal, President, TSCS, expressed his enthusiasm for this collaborative symposium, stating, “Preventing thalassemia is not just a medical challenge, it is a responsibility towards building a healthier society. By uniting medical professionals and raising awareness, we can create a future where thalassemia becomes a thing of the past.”
Dr Jain presented a comprehensive overview of the current state of thalassemia screening initiatives and emphasised the pivotal role of early detection in ensuring a better quality of life for thalassemia carriers and affected families. She said, “Thalassemia is a preventable condition, one can do it by taking HbA2 test before or after pregnancy. Our main motto is to make India and the state of Telangana a Thalassemia free. Through this joint initiative, we aim to ignite a spark of awareness that will lead to more compassionate and proactive healthcare practices.”
Adding to the symposium’s prestige, Dr Anagani shared her ground-breaking research on advancements in prenatal diagnosis techniques.
“I am honoured to be a part of this remarkable initiative by NGO Marham and Thalassemia & Sickle Cell Society. Every year 1-1.25 lakh Thalassemia cases are reported, 42 million carriers are in India and 10,000 to 15,000 children are diagnosed with Thalassemia or born with Thalassemia condition. India is known as the Capital of Thalassemia. Countries like the US and the UK, have really good medical infrastructure because almost all the medical expenses are covered by the government only. By universal screening in all states of India, we can make our India and Telangana Thalassemia free. We request the government to support this initiative by making HbA2 test mandatory in all the hospitals, and possibly keep it affordable to everyone. I must say the cost of screening is less than the cost of treatment. So everyone should think of it and should make Thalassemia screening mandatory,” said Dr Anagani.
A special panel discussion which was also arranged on the sidelines of the symposium hosted eminent panelists who spoke about the current situation of Thalassemia in our country and also how it can be improved with the collaborative efforts of the healthcare experts and government bodies.
