Journalism of Courage
City-based hospitals marked the World Thalassemia Day on Monday. On May 7, Sassoon General Hospital conducted several blood donation camps to increase collection of blood units from 12,000 to 18,000 per annum, and raise awareness about blood donation. Dean Dr Ajay Chandanwale said the aim was to ensure that thalassemia patients get blood in time.
The theme of this year’s Thalassemia day is ‘Thalassemia past, present and future: Documenting progress and patients’s needs worldwide’. The main aim of the programme was raising awareness among residents and healthcare workers about Thalassemia, its treatment, complications, preventive strategies and research activities. Various activities such as poster presentations, role play and audiovisual presentations were conducted as part of the drive, said Dr Aarti Kinikar, Professor and Head of Department of Pediatrics at Sassoon.
At Ruby Hall Clinic, Dr Nita Munshi, president of Pune Chapter of Thalassemia society, gave a talk on awareness and prevention of the disease. Actor Jackie Shroff was the chief guest. A doctors’ orchestra group performed at the event with the aim to raise funds for children suffering from the disease.
Meanwhile, the Poona Hoteliers’ Association (PHA), in partnership with several hotels, organised an extensive blood donation drive from April 17 to May 7. Through the initiative, led by Neerav Panchaamiya, chief operating executive (COE), Poona Hoteliers’ Association, the PHA was able to collect and donate approximately 300 units of viable blood to the Jan Kalyan Blood Bank in Pune.
About the need for awareness on Thalassemia, Dr Reshma Roshan, Hematologist at Sahyadri Hospitals, said, “It is an inherited condition in which the genes that are responsible for producing haemoglobin are damaged or absent. Haemoglobin is the protein inside the red blood cells that transports oxygen to the body organs and tissues. Damaged or insufficient haemoglobin causes severe anaemia (lack of oxygen in the body) and inability to sustain human life. Thalassemia treatment requires regular blood transfusions and iron chelation therapy, without which the patients are at an increased risk of premature death preceded by poor quality of life. But there is hope as proper adherence to treatment can improve quality of life in a Thalassemia patient.”
