The State Health Department and ICMR’s National Institute of Research in Tribal Health (NIRTH) Jabalpur signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) for advance training to be given to doctors, health workers on Sickle Cell treatment.
State Governor Mangubhai Patel, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya were present on the occasion.
The MoU was signed on Sunday in the inaugural session of the workshop on ‘holistic management of sickle cell diseases’ held at Union Govt.’s run Pandit Dwarka Prasad Mishra Indian Institute of Information Technology – Design and Manufacturing Jabalpur on occasion of World Sickle Day on Sunday.
Governor Patel said sickle cell is a serious genetic disease and a challenge to humanity.
If detected on time, the disease can be treated and the affected person can lead a normal life, he said.
The symptoms of Sickle Cell are apparent not only in the tribal community, but also in other communities, he said.
He said that the central and state governments are working on a concrete action plan for the total eradication of Sickle Cell.
Its prevention and relief campaign is being run in 14 tribal-dominated districts of the state, he said.
Attention is also being given to health, marriage and rehabilitation assistance of sick persons, he said.
He said screening and testing should be done expeditiously for the diagnosis of Sickle Cell disease, which should be completed in the next 6 months, he said.
He told to initiate wide publicity and bring public awareness, so that Sickle Cell can be treated in time. Yoga and Ayurveda can also help to lead a better life.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the Covid pandemic was controlled through social participation.
Similarly, eradication of sickle cell anaemia will also be successful with people’s cooperation, he said.
For eradication of sickle cell anaemia, a public awareness campaign will be launched in all the districts of the state with people’s participation, he said.
Awareness will be created at various places through means of publicity like street plays, songs etc, he said.
The screening for identification of disease will also be expedited and necessary resources will be increased for this, he said.
The Door-to-door screening was done in the Covid epidemic. Similar action plan will also be implemented for prevention and protection from sickle cell anaemia.
He said that effective measures for the prevention of sickle cell disease would be taken through Yoga, Ayurveda and public cooperation. Task force will be formed at the state and district levels with public cooperation.
The task force will secure the support of citizens willing to work for the eradication of sickle cell. Use new medical techniques in the treatment of the disease, so that this disease does not pass on to the next generation. Chouhan said that sickle cell patients should not consider themselves alone, the state government is with them.
Governor Patel and Chief Minister Chouhan released the awareness song with a single click and launched the animated video on the occasion.
