Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Fourteen out of 188 girls living in tribal hostels tested positive for Sickle sickle cell anaemia at Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Bhopal on Thursday.
The health department is continuing with the Rapid Test programme to test sickle cell anaemia, started in 89 tribal development blocks of the state.
Dr Tarun said, "We conducted Rapid test for all the girls living in tribal hostels and found 14 girls positive for sickle cell anaemia."
Dr Nishanth Nambison, professor at Govt Homeopathy Medical College, Bhopal, said, “In Baiga tribal community, sickle cell anaemia is prevalent 23 percent, while in Saharia tribal community, SCD is 19 percent. In other tribal communities, it varies from 5 percent to 20 percent. Around 14 out of 188 girls were found positive at PHC level, now it has to be seen whether they are carriers or infected with sickle cell disease (SCD).”
Dr Nambison, who had innovated the GIP-Genetic Inheritance Prediction card, said, “The department of Ayush has focused on these two communities. Baiga is dominated in Mandla and Dondiri, while Saharia tribes are in Chhindwara. Our homoeopathy and Ayurveda medicines are giving positive results as far as SCD is concerned.”
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National Health Mission (NHM) deputy director Dr Rubi Khan said, “Testing is our continuous process to keep a check on sickle cell anaemia, especially in tribal dominated districts.”
A pilot project was launched for screening in Jhabua and Alirajpur districts and 89 tribal blocks included in the second phase of the project. The state government has established an Integrated Centre for Hemophilia and Hemoglobinopathies in 22 tribal districts.
Sickle cell disease is a chronic single gene disorder causing a debilitating systemic syndrome characterised by chronic anaemia, acute painful episodes, organ infarction and chronic organ damage and by a significant reduction in life expectancy.
