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Jaffna Teaching Hospital, Kandy National Hospital to get bone marrow transplant units – Health Secretary

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Health Secretary Dr. Palitha Mahipala said that the necessary arrangements have already been made to establish two bone marrow transplant units in Jaffna Teaching Hospital and Kandy National Hospital this year. With the establishment of those units, it will be possible to increase the number of transplants to 40-50 per year, he said.

He emphasised this while participating in the national event organised in conjunction with the International Thalassemia Day. This event was organised by the Ceylon Thalassemia Association and it was held at Kurunegala Bluesky Hotel on the last day.

The Secretary also pointed out that bone marrow transplant is currently being carried out in two units at Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Colombo, out of which two patients are being transplanted per month.

According to the statistics, nearly 2,000 children are suffering from Thalassemia in Sri Lanka.

Under a new director, steps will be taken to start a ‘special Thalassemia national campaign’ and to reactivate the National Thalassemia Council, Health Secretary said.

He also pointed out the need to start registration of patients in the Thalassemia Units of Chilaw, Kiribathgoda, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Badulla as soon as possible, and said that it is his intention to start four or five new centres in every province.

International Thalassemia Day is observed on May 8 every year. The doctors’ point out that Thalassemia is a disease caused by a genetic change in the production of hemoglobin.

The day is celebrated under a theme every year and the theme for 2024 is ‘Empowering Lives, Embracing Progress, Equitable and Accessible Thalassemia Treatment for All’.

As there is no national movement for Thalassemia disease, a special national movement on Thalassemia will be starting soon under a new director, and the necessary work will be done to strengthen the treatment and control activities by reactivating the National Thalassemia Council.

Although the Health Ministry has allocated some funds annually for the treatment of Thalassemia and other activities, no specific systematic programme has been prepared yet.

Therefore, the Health Secretary said that the new campaign that will be launched in the future, such as the Anti-Malaria campaign, will enable us to carry out other activities in a regular and quality manner, including Thalassemia disease treatment, control and public awareness.

The National Thalassemia Council was established in the year 2010, but as it is currently showing some lag in its activity, they are working to strengthen the treatment and care of Thalassemia patients in this country by activating it immediately.

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