Union Health Minister launches Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana portal for patients

Team L&M

The third phase of Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY) was launched yesterday on the occasion of the World Thalassemia Day yesterday (May 8). The programme, launched by, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, is beng undertaken by the Union Health Ministry in association with Coal India Limited (CIL).

The Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana portal was also launched on the occasion. Created by CIL, the portal will allow patients to get to the development of their application from enrollment to closure in real-time through the entry. The entrance is being propelled alongside the 3rd stage of the scheme.

The Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) program, funded by CIL is a unique initiative aimed at providing a one-time cure opportunity to underprivileged Thalassemia patients who have a matched sibling donor but do not have the financial resources to cover the cost of the procedure. Under this program, as many as 356 bone marrow transplants for Thalassemia patients were completed across 10 empanelled hospitals in India during the first two phases.

“It is important to enhance screening of the disease, create more awareness and counselling opportunities, and also increase treatment facilities to fight blood disorders such as Thalassemia and Sickle Cell disease,” said Dr Pawar adding that various stakeholders must lend a helping hand for strengthening the fight against blood related disorders. “The multi stakeholder approach will help to mobilise nationwide support for awareness and treatment for blood related disorders,” she remarked.

The Union Minister also urged people to take advantage of various initiatives of the Union Government such as the e-Raktkosh portal for blood transfusion requirements and the network of over 1.5 lakh Health and Wellness Centres for treatment and diagnostic care.

The third phase of the program will continue to provide financial assistance for a package cost of Rs 10 lakhs per HSCT, directly transferred from CIL to the institutions performing HSCT. The program will benefit underprivileged thalassemia patients and those with aplastic anemia, which is an irreversible condition that can be life-threatening without treatment.

The program has empaneled 10 reputed hospitals across India, including AIIMS, New Delhi; CMC Vellore; Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai; MCGM Hospital, Mumbai; PGIMER, Chandigarh; Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute, New Delhi; SGPGI, Lucknow; Narayana Hrudayalaya, Bangalore; CMC, Ludhiana and Tata Medical Centre, Kolkata among others.