Sandhya Rani Opens Hemoglobin Centre at KGH
The minister said the state government was giving priority to strengthening healthcare services in tribal areas and protecting the health of tribal communities.
Visakhapatnam: Tribal Welfare minister Gummidi Sandhya Rani on Monday inaugurated the Centre of Competence (CoC) for hemoglobinopathies at King George Hospital, established at a cost of Rs 3.32 crore.
The minister said the state government was giving priority to strengthening healthcare services in tribal areas and protecting the health of tribal communities.
Speaking on the occasion, Sandhya Rani said the facility has been equipped with modern diagnostic and treatment infrastructure for early detection and management of hemoglobin disorders, particularly sickle cell disease. The Centre will provide specialised screening services for newborns and pregnant women, besides genetic counselling and blood transfusion support.
She said awareness programmes on sickle cell disease would be conducted extensively in tribal regions to promote early diagnosis and timely treatment. According to the minister, both the Central and state governments are jointly working to strengthen tribal healthcare systems in Andhra Pradesh.
Highlighting the progress of the state’s sickle cell screening programme, Sandhya Rani said Andhra Pradesh aims to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047.
Out of the target population of 17,11,164 people, 15,21,294 individuals have been registered and screening has been completed for 14,95,355 persons across the state, she said.
The minister said the screening programme identified 21,767 carriers and 2,285 patients affected by sickle cell disease, all of whom are being provided treatment and medical support. She added that 4.85 lakh health cards have been distributed so far under the programme.
Sandhya Rani reiterated that ensuring healthcare security for every tribal family remained one of the government’s key priorities.
