NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has asked all states and union territories to recommend to all hospitals to provide proper facilities to children in need of treatment for Thalassemia and provide blood transfusion therapy free of cost.
The child rights body also directed the states/UTs to share action taken report with the commission. In a letter to all state principal secretaries in the Department of Health and Family Welfare, NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo said that Thalassemia is a significant health concern, particularly in the paediatric population which requires comprehensive and specialised care to ensure optimal outcomes for affected individuals.
As such, adherence to established guidelines is essential in providing consistent, evidence-based care to patients with Thalassemia, he said. The Union Health Ministry last year on June 14 had issued revised directions to states for recovery of processing charges for blood and blood components, he said.
Quoting the health ministry letter, Kanoongo said, “As per point 4.4 in the mentioned letter, it has been clearly stated that ‘all the blood centres (Government supported and Non- Government supported) must provide blood/blood components free of cost to the patients of Thalassemia.”
However, he said, despite these efforts, challenges remain regarding early detection, access to specialised care, and the financial burden of treatment for affected families. “Efforts to address the prevalence of Thalassemia in children in India continue to be a priority for public health authorities, healthcare providers, and advocacy organisations, focusing on comprehensive strategies for prevention, screening, diagnosis, and management,” he said.
The Commission has also taken cognisance of a similar matter wherein the child’s family was asked to provide the hospital with the required quantity of the blood bag for initiating blood transfusion therapy during the treatment in Madhya Pradesh.
He added that looking at the severity of the matter, states/UTs are recommended to issue a circular to all the hospitals in their states/UTs for providing the blood transfusion therapy free of cost and adhering to the order of the union health ministry directions and provide proper facilities to the children in need of the treatment for thalassemia.
Blood transfusion therapy free of cost
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has asked states/UTs to recommend to all hospitals to provide proper facilities to children in need of treatment for Thalassemia and provide blood transfusion therapy
free of cost. NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanoongo said that Thalassemia is a significant health concern, particularly in the paediatric population, which requires specialised care to ensure optimal outcomes for affected individuals.