**Policy Summary: Awareness and Management of Thalassemia in India**
This document summarizes the Indian government's response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 3325 regarding initiatives to raise awareness about thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder. While the primary responsibility for managing thalassemia and raising awareness rests with individual State/Union Territory governments, the central government provides support through the National Health Mission (NHM). This support includes strengthening healthcare systems, establishing blood bank facilities and day care centers, providing medicines and lab services, conducting Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities, and training healthcare personnel. Support is contingent upon proposals submitted by States/UTs in their Programme Implementation Plans.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, in association with Coal India Limited (CIL), implements the Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY). This scheme provides financial assistance of up to Rs. 10 lakh to eligible patients for Bone Marrow Transplants (BMT) utilizing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds from CIL. The TBSY scheme facilitates BMT procedures in seventeen empanelled hospitals across the country. The program includes monitoring, follow-up, and the regular entry of thalassemia screening data onto a national portal.
Key Entities Referenced
Thalassaemia: A serious inherited blood disorder that affects the body's ability to produce normal haemoglobin, and a key focus of the policy.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The government ministry responsible for health policies and family welfare programs in India.
National Health Mission (NHM): A centrally sponsored scheme providing support to States/UTs to strengthen their healthcare system, including prevention and management of Thalassemia.
State/UT Governments: The primary responsibility of management of Thalassemia along with raising awareness lies with the respective State/UT Governments.
Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY): A scheme implemented by the Ministry in association with Coal India Limited (CIL) providing financial assistance for Bone Marrow Transplants (BMT) to eligible patients.
Coal India Limited (CIL): An Indian public sector coal mining and refining company involved in the Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY) through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.
Bone Marrow Transplants (BMT): A medical procedure for which financial assistance is provided under the Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY) for eligible patients.
SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL: The Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare who answered the question about awareness on Thalassemia.
GOVERNMENT OFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTHAND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 3325
TO BE ANSWEREDON8thAUGUST,2025
AWARENESS ONTHALASSAEMIA
3325.DR.AMARSINGH:
Will the Ministerof HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a)whether the Government hastaken anyinitiativesto raise awareness about thalassaemia, a
serious inherited blood disorder that affects ability of the body to produce normal
haemoglobin;
(b) if so, the detailsthereof; and
(c)if not,the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILY
WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL)
(a) to(c)Thalassemia isone of the inherited disorders of red bloodcells that comesunder the
category of Haemoglobinopathies.The primaryresponsibility of managementof Thalassemia
along with raising awareness lieswith the respective State/UTGovernments. However, under
National Health Mission (NHM), support is provided to States/UTs to strengthen their
healthcare system including support for prevention andmanagement of Thalassemia at public
healthcare facilities, provision of Blood Bank facilities, Day Care Centre, Medicines, Lab
services, IEC activities and training of HR etc. based on the proposals submitted by the
States/UTs intheirProgrammeImplementation Plans.
This Ministry, in association with Coal India Limited (CIL), is implementing a scheme
namely Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY) wherein financial assistance up to Rs.10 lakh
is provided to eligible patients for Bone Marrow Transplants (BMT) from CIL Corporate
Social Responsibility (CSR) funds. This scheme provides for BMT in seventeen empanelled
hospitals spread across the country.
Monitoring and follow up is done and the data of thalassemia for screening is entered
regularlyonthe National Portal.
*****
1