**Executive Summary**
This document presents the response of the Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to an unstarred question in Lok Sabha regarding cases of Sickle Cell Anaemia and Thalassemia in Maharashtra, particularly in Dhule and Nashik districts. As of October 31, 2025, 26,007 Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) patients and 344 Thalassemia patients have been identified in Maharashtra. The ministry provides technical and financial support for screening, counselling, and treatment under the National Health Mission (NHM).
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Disease Statistics (as of 31.10.2025):**
* Total SCD patients identified in Maharashtra: 26,007 (including 128 in Nashik and 762 in Dhule).
* Total Thalassemia patients identified in Maharashtra: 344 (including 3 in Dhule and none in Nashik).
* **Government Support & Initiatives:**
* Technical and financial support provided to States/UTs under NHM for screenings, counseling, drugs, blood transfusion, Blood Bank facilities, Day Care Centres, Medicines, Lab services, and training.
* Screenings conducted at all health facilities from District Hospitals (DH) to Ayushman Arogya Mandir (AAM) under the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM).
* Hydroxyurea included in NHM Essential Drugs List at various health centers.
* Drugs and Vaccine Distribution Management System (DVDMS) launched to monitor drug procurement and availability.
* **Patient Services & Facilities:**
* Patients living with SCD are provided with follow-up, counseling, nutritional supplementation (folic acid tablets), yoga/wellness sessions, and management of crisis symptoms at AAM-SHC and AAM-PHCs.
* Awareness and counseling materials developed and disseminated through MoTA and Ayushman Arogya Shivirs.
* The government encourages doctors to serve in rural areas via Hard Area Allowance and negotiable salaries.
* Hemoglobinopathy Day Care Centres are operational in all districts of Maharashtra.
* **Financial Assistance Schemes:**
* Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY) provides up to Rs. 10 lakh for Bone Marrow Transplants (BMT) through CIL CSR funds.
* Thalassemia treatment is free of cost under Rajiv Gandhi Jivandayi Yojna for patients with annual income under Rs. 1 Lakh and BPL patients, as per the Government of Maharashtra.
**Impact Analysis**
**Patients with Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassemia**
* **Impact:** Access to screenings, counseling, treatment, and financial assistance programs. Improved quality of life through follow-up, nutritional support, and crisis management.
* **Action Required:** Utilize available facilities and schemes for diagnosis, treatment, and financial support.
**State Governments and UTs**
* **Impact:** Provision of technical and financial support from the Ministry to implement relevant programs and improve healthcare infrastructure.
* **Action Required:** Submit Programme Implementation Plans (PIPs) under NHM to receive funding and support for screenings, counseling, and treatment services.
**Healthcare Providers (Doctors, Nurses, etc.)**
* **Impact:** Opportunity to serve in rural areas with additional incentives (Hard Area Allowance, negotiable salaries). Access to training and resources for managing SCD and Thalassemia cases.
* **Action Required:** Participate in training programs and provide necessary care and support to patients.
**Ministry of Health and Family Welfare**
* **Impact:** Responsible for providing technical and financial support, monitoring drug availability, and ensuring effective implementation of various schemes.
* **Action Required:** Continue to support and strengthen the NSCAEM, NHM, TBSY, and other relevant programs to improve healthcare access and outcomes for patients with SCD and Thalassemia.
Key Entities Referenced
National Health Mission (NHM): A centrally sponsored scheme aimed at strengthening the healthcare system in India.
National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM): A mission focused on eliminating sickle cell anemia in India through screening and treatment.
Maharashtra: Indian state where the reported cases of Sickle Cell Disease and Thalassemia are identified.
Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY): A scheme providing financial assistance for Bone Marrow Transplants to eligible patients with thalassemia.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The central government ministry responsible for health policy and programs in India.
GOVERNMENT OFINDIA
MINISTRYOFHEALTHAND FAMILYWELFARE
DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 1119
TO BE ANSWERED ON5THDECEMBER, 2025
CASES OFSICKLE CELLANAEMIAAND THALASSEMIA
1119.DR. BACHHAVSHOBHADINESH:
Will the Ministerof HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate:
(a) the total number of registered patients of sickle cell anaemia and Thalassemia in
Maharashtra particularly indistricts Dhule andNashik along with the steps taken/proposed to
be takenby the Government to assessthe condition,district/disease-wise;
(b) whether medicines and facilities for treatment of sickle cell disease in Primary Health
Centresof Dhule andNashik are insufficient andif so, the detailsthereof;
(c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to ensure availability of these
medicinesandfacilities;
(d) whether there isany scheme to organisefree campsfor the treatment of sickle cell disease
inrural areasandif so, the details thereofandif not,the reasons therefor;
(e) the time by which special wards and specialist doctors are likely tobe appointed for same
ineachdistrict/tehsil hospitals of the State;and
(f) whether the Government is contemplating to launch any financial assistance scheme for
the reliefof the poor patients andif so, the detailsthereof?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILY
WELFARE
(SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL)
(a) to (f): As per Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) portal, a total of 26,007 SCD patients have been
identified in Maharashtra including 128 in Nashik and 762 in Dhule Districts, as on
31.10.2025. Further, a total of 344 individuals have been identified with Thalassemia in
Maharashtra, including3cases inDhule andnone inNashik, till 31.10.2025.
This Ministry provides technical and financial support to the States/UTs for conducting
screenings, counselling & awareness camps, procurementof drugs, bloodtransfusion services
for sickle cellanaemia,preventionandmanagementof Thalassemia, provision of Blood Bank
facilities, Day Care Centre, Medicines, Lab services, training of human resource, based on
the proposals receivedinthe form of ProgrammeImplementationPlans(PIPs)underNational
HealthMission (NHM).
1Under National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM), screenings are
conducted at allhealth facilities from District Hospitals (DH) uptoAyushman Arogya Mandir
(AAM) levelacross the countryfor diagnosis of Sickle Cell Disease.
Hydroxyurea has been included in NHM Essential Drugs List at Sub Health Centres (SHC),
Primary Health Centres (PHCs)/ Urban PHCs, Community Health Centres (CHC) and DH to
address the issue of access to medicine. To monitor the drug procurement and ensure the
availability of essential medicines in public health facilities, Drugs and Vaccine Distribution
Management System(DVDMS) hasbeenlaunched bythe Govt. of India.
Patients living with SCD are provided with the following services/ facilities for improving
theirqualityof life through AAM-SHCand AAM-PHCs:
• Follow-upof diseased individualsat frequent intervals.
• Counseling regardinglifestyle management,pre-marriage andpre-nataldecisions.
• Nutritional supplementationsupport through distribution of folic acidtablets.
• Conductingyoga andwellness sessions.
• Management of crisis symptoms andreferral tohigherfacilities.
ThroughMoTA, awareness andcounseling material have beendevelopedanddisseminated to
the States & UTs. Through monthly Ayushman Arogya Shivirs, awareness is raised for
varioushealthprogrammesincluding SCD.
The Government of India has introduced a range of measures to encourage doctors and
specialists to serve in rural and remote areas i.e. Hard Area Allowance, flexibility for States
to offer negotiable salaries like “You Quote We Pay” etc. Further, as informed by
Government of Maharashtra, Hemoglobinopathy Day care Centres are operational in all
districts of Maharashtra including Nashik and Dhule with trained medical officers deployed
at these centres.
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. Further, as per Government of Maharashtra, treatment of
thalassemia is also available free of cost under Rajiv Gandhi Jivandayi Yojna to the patients
havingannualincome of Rs. 1 Lakh andBPLpatients.
****
2