Awareness march near Golden Temple marks Thalassaemia Day

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Amritsar, May 11

To observe World Thalassaemia Day, the Pediatrics Department at Sri Guru Ram Das University of Health Sciences, organised an awareness walk near Golden Temple here on Wednesday morning.

The awareness event was flagged off by Parminder Singh Bhandal, Deputy Commissioner of Police. During the walk, the medical experts spread the message that people should get haemoglobin electrophoresis test conducted before marriage to prevent chances of the disease among their children.

Dr Gursharan Singh Narang, secretary, SGRD Thalassaemia Society, said thalassaemia is a genetically transmitted by both parents who carry the thalassaemia gene and their medical condition is called thalassaemia carrier and as they are physically normal so it may go undetected throughout life.

Dr Manjit Singh Uppal, Director Principal, said the serious condition, thalassaemia major occurs in 25 percent of their children. He added girls and boys should be tested for thalassaemia [haemoglobin A2] in a simple blood sample before marriage and if both are found positive, they should not marry.

Dean Dr AP Singh said in case both parents are carriers of the disease and the female is pregnant, then the foetus should be tested at about 10 weeks after conception and the disease can be detected. In such a condition medical termination of pregnancy is justified.

A blood donation camp was also held at SGRD Blood Bank. Over 100 persons, including various faculty members and students, donated blood.

What is thalassaemia

• Thalassaemia is a blood disorder involving lower-than-normal amounts of an oxygen-carrying protein. an inherited blood disorder characterised by less oxygen-carrying protein (haemoglobin) and fewer red blood cells in the body than normal.
• Symptoms include fatigue, weakness, paleness and slow growth.Mild forms may not need treatment. Severe forms may require blood transfusions or a donor stem-cell transplant.