Thalassaemic ward opened at Amritsar's Guru Ram Das hospital

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 2

“Instead of matching ‘janam patri’, people should match thalassaemia test reports,” said Dr Daljit Singh, the vice-chancellor of Sri Guru Ram Das University of Health Sciences while inaugurating an ultra-modern thalassaemia ward at Sri Guru Ram Das Charitable Hospital.

Dr Singh said thalassaemia is a genetic disease and is transmitted by both parents who carry the thalassaemia gene. “The medical condition of parents is called thalassaemia trait and from the outside, they appear normal. So the disease may go undetected throughout life. It occurs in 25 per cent of their children,” he said.

The vice-chancellor said children should not suffer due to lack of awareness in society. Both boys and girls should get tested for thalassaemia before marriage and if found positive, they should not marry, he said.

“In case of thalassaemia trait in both, the couple should get their foetus tested about eight weeks after conception,” he said.

The vice chancellor said a team of specialist doctors and nurses has been formed in the newly created ultra-modern thalassaemia ward to provide patients with tailored treatment facilities. “As blood transfusions are required every three-four weeks and each transfusion takes around four to five hours, arrangements for a TV and games have been made for children’s entertainment,” he said.

He stated from 25 to 30 thalassaemia patients, including children from two to 18 years visited the hospital every month and all necessary facilities along with blood transfusion would be provided free of cost for them.