Ranchi: Under the banner of the Jharkhand Thalassemia Patients Association, patients suffering from Thalassemia, Sickle Cell, and Aplastic Anemia, along with their families, from various districts of Jharkhand, organized a state-level “Justice Awareness March” on Saturday. Despite light rain, the march started from Jaipal Singh Munda Park and peacefully concluded at Raj Bhavan, Ranchi.
Participants from districts including Ranchi, Khunti, Lohardaga, Ramgarh, Gumla, Hazaribagh, Latehar, Palamu, and Bokaro attended the march. The march was led by Thalassemia-affected students Sonam Kumari, Sakchi Singh, and Pratignya Kumari.
Key Demands
During the march, participants carried placards highlighting various policy-related, logical, and humanitarian demands. The main demands were as follows:
Honorable Governor and Jharkhand Government should immediately formulate a policy for Thalassemia, Sickle Cell, and Aplastic Anemia patients and their families.
Conduct a special awareness campaign on blood donation as a “great donation.”
Ensure free access to blood from all government and private blood banks without donor or processing charges.
Conduct a survey on the growing number of patients in the state, as blood donation organizations estimate around 11,000 patients in Jharkhand.
The government should adopt Thalassemia, Sickle Cell, and Aplastic Anemia-affected children and provide free bone marrow transplants.
Include patients in the permanent disability category and provide Indian Railways concession passes.
Make blood disorder tests mandatory for bride and groom before marriage.
Currently, the state has only one hematologist, Dr. Abhishek Ranjan (Ranchi), and a single treatment center, “Day Care.” The government should ensure adequate medical facilities statewide.
Ensure 24-hour availability of doctors and provide annual MRI and HPLC tests free of cost.
Conduct LFT, RFT, CBC, and ferritin tests every three months free of charge.
Provide access to all government schemes through a single-window system.
Prioritize affected families under Abua Health Scheme, Ration Card, Maiya Scheme, Self-Employment/Entrepreneurship schemes, scholarships, and Indira Housing Scheme.
The purpose of the march was to draw the attention of the Jharkhand Government and the Governor to the real challenges faced by people suffering from these serious diseases. Participants appealed to the government to formulate a concrete and humane policy as soon as possible to ensure their lives are safe and dignified.
Hundreds of Patients and Family Members Participated
The event saw participation from Devaki Devi, Sanjay Toppo, Poonia Oraon, Pragati Shukla, Rani Kachhap, Sonam Singh, Seema Devi, Lakhan Mahto, Basant Kumar, and hundreds of other patients and family members.
Notable children participants included Lucky Kumari, Pooja Kumari, Roshan Kachhap, Alpana Kumari, Tinku Kumar, Karan Lohra, Ambika Kumari, Daksh Mahto, and Manish Toppo.
Support from Social Activists
Several social activists also joined the march, including Rajeev Raju, motivator for differently abled individuals; Powell Kumar, state head of special teachers for differently-abled Dr. Anuradha Vats, clinical psychologist and Sickle Cell specialist; Ranjit Sahu, environmentalist and social worker; Harshvardhan from blood donation organizer Mehr Khalsa Sukh Nath Lohra, state coordinator of Adivasi Adhikar Manch Jharkhand; Nadeem Khan, founder of Jharkhand Thalassemia Patients Association and Lahu Bolega Blood Donation Organization; RTI activist Akram Rashid; Blood Volunteer Sajid Umar; and Buland Akhtar, among others.
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