Governor Mangubhai Patel has said that obtaining numbers of sickle cell carriers and patients is the primary requirement for sickle cell anaemia disease management. ASHA workers should be trained and involved in the screening work for giving speed to and expansion of work.

The sickle cell carrier or the relatives of the patients found in the screening camps of Anganwadis, schools, hostels and colleges should be investigated. Governor Patel was reviewing the Madhya Pradesh State Haemoglobinopathy Mission at Raj Bhavan.

The Governor said that the management of sickle cell anaemia is an act of service to humanity. Every person involved in this should act with personal responsibility. The results of the service done with sensitivity and intelligence are always pleasant and joyful. Referring to the context of the sensitivity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he said that on the information of the death of the lions, he himself immediately reached the spot for review.

The Governor expected the officers to act with the same sensitivity. He said that the goal of the work should always be kept big. This speeds up the work. Better results are obtained. He stressed the need for initiatives to incorporate Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine in the treatment efforts of sickle cell anaemia. He said that the medicinal utility of Giloy has been recognised for the public in the Covid epidemic.

There are many such herbs in Ayurveda and there are people who know about them. There is a need to compile the information regarding them with authenticity.

Patel received information about the arrangements related to disease, prevention and management in the mission. He was told that there are institutional arrangements for the diagnosis and treatment of sickle cell anaemia at the district level. For screening, a screening camp is organised after public awareness by setting up a chaupal in the village. Action plan has been prepared for 14 districts of the state on the basis of prevalence of disease for screening work in the second phase by the mission. Dhar, Barwani, Chhindwara, Khargone, Betul, Mandla, Shahdol, Dindori, Singrauli, Jabalpur, Anuppur, Sidhi, Khandwa and Umaria districts will be included in the second phase.

The action plan includes publicity and disease awareness, training of health staff regarding screening and treatment management in relation to sickle cell anaemia, screening and confirmation test of pregnant mothers and children up to 18 years, entry of digital health records in sickle cell anaemia portal, activities of genetic counselling and behaviour change, distribution of genetic cards, treatment of patients and safe blood transfusion and management, if required, etc. will be done.

President Tribal Cell Deepak Khandekar, Director General Jan Abhiyan Parishad BR Naidu, Additional Chief Secretary Health Mohammad Suleman, Principal Secretary to Governor DP Ahuja, Principal Secretary AYUSH Prateek Hajela, Secretary Health Sudam Khade, Secretary Tribal Cell BS Jamod, Managing Director National Health Mission Priyanka Das, officers of Indian Council of Medical Research Jabalpur, Tribal Cell members and other senior officers of the concerned departments were present.