RANCHI: In a major decision, Jharkhand Health Minister Dr. Irfan Ansari said that everyone in the state will be made to undergo tests for thalassemia and sickle cell. According to Ansari, Jharkhand still lacks concrete data on these serious diseases, posing a major challenge to the state's health system.

“There is no information available about the number of patients suffering from Thalassemia and Sickle Cell in any of the districts……. This is a very serious disease, and its treatment will be ensured in Jharkhand at all costs,” said Ansari. The goal is to make Jharkhand Thalassemia and Sickle Cell free, he added.

Ansari said that the state government will bear the entire cost of treatment for thalassemia and sickle cell patients. Additionally, the process of providing bone marrow transplant facilities at Ranchi Sadar Hospital has also been initiated, he said.

The Minister further said that special initiatives will be taken to connect experienced doctors from various states to Jharkhand. The state government will also provide the necessary budget for this, he said.

The Minister explained that without accurate data, children are constantly forced to visit private hospitals and government blood banks. To improve this situation, all district-level blood banks are being equipped with high-tech equipment, which includes, installing new-generation blood testing machines, providing state-of-the-art AIDS/HIV testing, and providing the latest blood safety technology. All these facilities will soon be made available in every blood bank in the state to prevent a recurrence of incidents like the one in Chaibasa.