Vijender Gupta calls for unity, prevention, support for Thalassemia patients

Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta on Thursday urged people to work collectively towards a future of care, dignity, and hope for Thalassemia patients, on the occasion of World Thalassemia Day.

Addressing a gathering organized in collaboration with the National Thalassemia Welfare Society (NTWS), Gupta acknowledged the resilience of patients and their families, calling them an inspiration to society.

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Moreover, as part of the global “Bring Light to Thal” campaign by the Thalassemia International Federation, the Assembly building was illuminated red in the evening to raise awareness and express solidarity with the patients around the world.

“Your strength moves us, your courage uplifts us. The Delhi Government stands with you—today and every day,” the Speaker said in his address.

Commending the strength of Thalassemia patients and their families, whom he described as beacons of courage and inspiration, Gupta added, “Let today not be just a remembrance, but a renewed commitment to prevention, awareness, and support.”

Mentioning the Delhi government’s initiative, the Speaker said that the therapy in the disease costs up to Rs 2 lakh per year, however, such treatments are provided free of cost to the registered patients in the hospital of the city.

Moreover, he added that since the disease only occurs when both parents are carriers of the same, the Delhi government has made arrangements of free antenatal testing services available at Lok Nayak Hospital in addition to carrier screening and prenatal diagnosis facility.

Notably, Thalassemia is a blood disorder passed down through families (inherited) in which the body makes an abnormal form or inadequate amount of hemoglobin which is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen. The disorder results in large numbers of red blood cells being destroyed, which leads to anemia.

The permanent cure of the disease is bone marrow transplantation, which is dependent on the donor which is hard to find. So, the patients rely on lifelong blood transfusions and iron chelation therapy.