Sickle Cell Anemia Patients To Get Pension Benefits For The First Time

Ranchi

In a unique initiative of the Khunti district administration, led by Deputy Commissioner Lokesh Mishra, for the first time pension has been approved for persons suffering from sickle cell anemia under Swami Vivekananda Nishakt Swawlamban Protsahan Scheme.

In the first phase, nine persons, 3 from Khunti block, 3 from Karra, 2 from Murhu and 1 from Torpa, will be covered. Under this scheme implemented by the district Social Security Cell, an amount of Rs 1000 per month will be given to the beneficiaries for life. Khunti district is some 35 km from State capital Ranchi

Till now, sickle cell screening of 99,165 persons has been done in the district. Of them, 114 were found to be carriers of sickle cell while a total of 46 persons were found to be suffering from sickle cell anemia-thalassemia disease. Nine persons who are suffering from 40 percent or more sickle cell anemia-thalassemia disease are to be given pension under Swami Vivekananda Nishakt Swavalamban Protsahan Yojana on the basis of disability certificate, officials said.

At present, while on one hand the life expectancy of people has increased due to health facilities, on the other the tribal population is suffering from various diseases like sickle cell anemia which is very widespread.

It is a hereditary blood-related disease that is a group of disorders affecting the production of hemoglobin. Given its fatal impact on the affected persons, sickle cell anemia-thalassemia screening/checking camps were organized in all the blocks of Khunti district with sickle cell mobile medical vans continuously visiting remote rural areas in the district.

A sickle cell anemia-thalassemia-Day Care Centre is being run in Sadar Hospital, Khunti with the objective of providing proper medical facilities to people suffering from sickle cell anemia. Free medical consultation, treatment, medicines and blood are being provided to an average of 15 people suffering from sickle cell anemia-thalassemia every month.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on July 1, 2023, launched the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM) from Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh. Members of the Scheduled Tribes are the most affected with the disease in India. As many as 2.5 lakh children and families are affected by the Sickle Cell Disease in the country.

Update

CM Naidu for 100 pc reservation to STs in tribal areas

In line with his election promise last year, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has said that his government was exploring ways to provide 100 percent reservation in Government jobs to locals in all the tribal areas of the State. In a review meeting on Tribal Welfare, there were discussions on steps to be taken to restore the GO No 3 which was struck down in 2020 by the Supreme Court. The GO issued in 2000 provided that all posts of teachers in the schools in the Scheduled Areas of the state will be filled only by the local Scheduled Tribe candidates. Outlining the history of reservation for tribals, Naidu noted that a 1986 GO had initially provided 100% quota for local tribals in teacher posts in agency areas. Legal challenges later prompted the issuance of GO No. 3 in 2000, which accounted for increased women’s reservation, and facilitated the allocation of approximately 4,626 teacher posts to tribals in agency areas.