BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 14th July 2025: One of the ways to eradicate thalassemia is to be aware and cautious, and along with this, timely detection and treatment of the disease are very important in combating thalassemia, said Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Manik Saha.
Dr. Saha said this while inaugurating an awareness programme at Rabindra Bhawan, organized by the Rotary Club of Agartala today.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that such discussion platforms will be helpful in increasing public awareness about thalassemia.
“If other social organizations like the Rotary Club also come forward, public awareness about thalassemia will further increase. There is no reason for patients suffering from thalassemia to feel helpless. If they know about it in advance, it is very possible to prevent this disease,” he said.
Dr. Saha mentioned that thalassemia is generally of two types including alpha and beta thalassemia.
“Patients seriously affected by this disease need regular blood transfusions. Bone marrow transplantation is an effective treatment. The state health department is also considering introducing bone marrow transplantation in the future to improve health services. The health department will take initiatives to provide medical services to thalassemia patients through the Bal Seva Yojana project,” he said.
Dr. Saha, who is also the Health Minister of the state, said that World Thalassemia Day is observed every year on May 8. On that day, people around the world are made aware of thalassemia.
“There are about 70,000 thalassemia patients in India and about 4.2 crore thalassemia carriers. Every year, around 10,000 to 12,000 children are born in the country with serious diseases like beta thalassemia. Currently, there are about 2,858 thalassemia patients in the state. Awareness needs to be created from the school level to eradicate this disease,” he added.
Rotary Club of Agartala President Kishloy Ghosh, Director of Health Department Dr. Tapan Majumdar, Dr. Kameshwar Singh Elambam, and others spoke on behalf of the Rotary Club. Also present were Director of Family Welfare and Disease Prevention Department Dr. Anjan Das, Padma Shri Deepa Karmakar, and others.
