Thalassemia: Harish Rao assures GO on antenatal test-HbA2

Hyderabad: Health Minister T. Harish Rao, who inaugurated the National Conference on Prevention of Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia on Saturday, has responded positively to an appeal made by the Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Society (TSCS) on issuing government orders for a mandatory antenatal test – HbA2 for every pregnant woman in the first trimester […]

Hyderabad: Health Minister T. Harish Rao, who inaugurated the National Conference on Prevention of Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia on Saturday, has responded positively to an appeal made by the Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Society (TSCS) on issuing government orders for a mandatory antenatal test – HbA2 for every pregnant woman in the first trimester of pregnancy.

The two-day conference that seeks to create a platform to discuss strategies and innovative steps for prevention of Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia, is being attended by Thalassemia societies and delegates from 23 States. On the first day, over 150 delegates from different parts of the country held elaborate talks on various preventive measures on the genetic blood disorder.

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“The Telangana government will also try to definitely process the appeal which TSCS has made – to release a GO for mandatory antenatal test – HbA2 for every pregnant woman to help preventing the birth of Thalassemia Major children. We also want to support the best possible treatment to Thalessemia patients who need better treatment,” Harish Rao said.

The State government has been helping many such children through Aarogyasri, he said, adding that the government also wanted to start blood banks wherever such high cases of Thalessemia are found in Telangana, like parts of Adilabad, Khammam and Warangal.

TSCS is the world’s biggest such society serving more than 3,000 Thalassemia children with modern equipment and specialist doctors free of cost in Hyderabad. It’s free services include doctor consultation, laboratory investigations (CBP), medicines, HLA test, HbA2 test of parents, siblings and extended family members, blood transfusion and free bone marrow transplant.

TSCS office bearers including president Chandrakant Agarwal, vice-president Ratnavali Kothapalli and secretary & CEO Dr. Suman Jain, also spoke.

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