Bihar children afflicted with Thalassemia to get treated at CMC

Bihar Health Minister announces collaboration with CMC for Thalassemia treatment, benefiting children below 12 years in Bihar.

Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey on Saturday said that Bihar government and Christian Medical College (CMC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in providing life-changing treatment to children below 12 years affected by Thalassemia in Bihar at the hospital’s new campus in Ranipet.

Addressing mediapersons here, Mr. Pandey said that around 6,000 children have been identified with the inherited blood disorder in Bihar. Of these, stem cells of 168 patients have been matched for transplant.

It was based on a detailed study conducted through health camps organised by the Department of Haematology (CMC) in coordination with the Bihar health officials in August and October this year.

Six daycare centres including those in Patna and Gaya were also roped in for the camps. “In the first phase of the initiative of providing treatment to affected children, CMC will treat 13 children in the hospital. Entire cost of the treatment will be borne by the Bihar government,” he said.

Mr. Pandey was accompanied by Dr. Vikram Mathews, director, CMC, and N.K. Gupta, State programme officer, Blood Cell (Bihar). The Health Minister said the initiative will be funded under Mukhyamantri Bal Thalassemia Yojana of Bihar government. On an average, treatment of each affected child will cost around ₹15 lakhs. A seed money of ₹ 3 crore has been sanctioned for the treatment of affected children by the Bihar government.

A three-member health team, who will be monitored by Professor Aby Abraham, HoD, Department of Haematology, and Gomathi Joseph, senior social worker of the department (CMC), will be involved in the stem cell transplants to eligible children in the coming weeks. Around three months of treatment is required for the purpose.

Apart from Bihar, CMC has also conducted similar camps in Haryana and Gujarat where 38 children (Haryana) and 10 (Surat) have been identified, hospital sources said.