Community’s cooperation should be taken in genetic counseling: Governor Shri Patel

Bhopal: Governor Shri Mangubhai Patel has said that the role of genetic counselling is very important in the efforts to eradicate sickle cell. The cooperation of the community should be obtained while working on the possibilities of the role of mediators in genetic counselling work. He has said that sickle cell anaemia is a genetic disease. To eradicate the disease, effective initiatives are necessary towards community awareness about precautions related to marriage and pregnancy. The cooperation of community leadership and panchayat officials should also be taken in genetic counselling work.

Governor Shri Patel was presiding over a review meeting organised under the aegis of Tribal Cell at Raj Bhavan. Deputy Chief Minister Shri Rajendra Shukla, AYUSH Minister Shri Inder Singh Parmar were also present in the meeting.

Governor Shri Patel said that certified medicines and treatment methods should be accepted with a positive attitude to make the patient healthy. Forest medicines are available in abundance in the forests of Madhya Pradesh. The work of certification of the experiences and tests of the use of these medicines in making sickle cell patients healthy should be done at a fast pace on a wide scale. The goal should be to provide health facilities to all patients and carriers. He said that sickle cell is a complex disease, which can cause about 21 types of diseases. It is important that disease management work should be done in a multidimensional and integrated form. Along with the treatment arrangements for all patients, necessary health support should also be provided to the carriers. Guidance should be given for a healthy lifestyle. Governor Shri Patel said that disease control efforts should be person-centric. There should be adequate availability of medicines at every level. All patients and carriers should be provided treatment, medicine and genetic counseling services. He has pointed out the need to add food items with availability of iron element in the food of hostels. Anganwadis have been asked to be included as a platform for sickle cell testing of pregnant women, genetic counselling and vaccination of newborns.

Tribal Cell Chairman Mr. Deepak Khandekar, Additional Chief Secretary to Governor Mr. K.C. Gupta, Principal Secretary AYUSH Mr. D.P. Ahuja, Principal Secretary Public Health and Medical Education Mr. Sandeep Yadav and other senior departmental officers were present in the meeting.