Kolkata, where beta thalassemia was detected almost 50 years ago, still has the most patients of the deadly disease among all metros.
Indian Council of Medical Research survey reveals nine of every 100 people in the city are affected by the deadly disease
KOLKATA: Kolkata, where beta thalassemia (an inherited blood disorder that reduces production of hemoglobin) was detected almost 50 years ago, still has the most patients of the deadly disease among all metros.
A recent survey by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) reveals nine of every 100 people in Kolkata are affected by beta thalassemia, a figure alarmingly high as compared to other major metros. In Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore, the percentage population affected by the disease is not even two. Even smaller cities such as Patna, Bhubaneswar and Guwahati, where the percentage is below five, are better off.
According to ICMR, lack of awareness, coupled with inadequate infrastructure, is the main reason for the high figure in Kolkata.
Renowned gynaecologist Tanish Mukherjee says the basic problem is the lack of awareness among the people of Kolkata who mostly skip the thalassemia test before marrying.
“In common man’s parlance, beta thalassemia is a hemoglobin malfunction and a child inherits it from his or her parents. If one of the parents is a carrier of the disease, the chance of their children inheriting it is less compared to a situation where both parents have the disease.
“To rule this out, a simple pre-matrimonial DNA test for both the bride and the groom is required, which, unfortunately, most people are not aware of,” he said.
Mukherjee admitted although the state health department and IMRC had time to time organised awareness programmes, they could not have the desired effect because of their short duration.
A few years ago, Bangiya Purohit Parishad, an association of Hindu priests in West Bengal, had instructed its members to verify thalassemia and Aids certificates of brides and grooms before solemnising marriages. However, even this initiative did not yield the desired result.
PS Jha, a professor of genetic medicine, says inadequate infrastructure was yet another reason for the high rate of beta thalassemia in Kolkata. “A DNA test is the only way to detect beta thalassemia in human beings, but the existing facilities in Kolkata are far too less to carrying out a large number of such tests,” he said.
r_sumanta@dnaindia.net
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