Odisha Govt Forms Monitoring Panels To Deal With Sickle Cell Diseases

Bhubaneswar: In a step towards detection and treatment of sickle cell in different parts of the state, the Odisha government has constituted coordination and monitoring committees at state, district and block levels.

An office order issued by secretary, Health and Family Welfare department Shalini Pandit on Saturday said institutional arrangements from state to block level would be put in place for implementation and monitoring of the drive and coordination among the stakeholders for dealing with sickle cell diseases (SCDs).

The state level sub-committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of secretary of the department with Director, NHM as co-chairperson. Directors of School and Mass Education, ST & SC, Minority and Backward Class Development, Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, and Department of women and child development are its members.

Other members from academic institutions included Project Coordinator, Odisha Sickle Cell Project, VIMSAR Burla and Head of the Department of Haematology, SCB medical College, Cuttack. Similarly, three civil society organisations, TASWEL, Odisha, Haemophilia Society, Cuttack and Haemophilia Society, Bhubaneswar were taken as members.

Besides, Director CMC, Vellore and Director RMRC, Bhubaneswar have also been included as technical partners. Director Blood Safety-cum-Nodal Officer for Sickle Cell Mission Odisha would work as member convener of the state level sub-committee. The committee would work for policy formulation, technical support and overall monitoring of SCD programmes.

The district level committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the collectors. Members of the Parliament would be the special onvitees to the committee. The district welfare officer, chief district medical officer, district education officer, district social security officer, representatives from two academic institutions, and representatives from three leading civil society organisations working for tribal health in the district would be the members.  The CDMO and Public Health Officer of the district would work as member secretary and convenor of the committee.

The block level committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of Block Medical Officer with Welfare Extension Officer as the co-chairperson. The block education officer, block social security officer, child development project officer (CDPO) and representatives from three civil society organisations are its members. The CDPO would work as member convenor.

Further, Director Blood Safety would work as Nodal Officer for National Sickle Cell Mission. He would convene the state level sub-committee meeting, prepare plan for universal screening, identify and support centres of excellence in this state, prepare the budget and leverage the grants from available sources, coordinate the stake holders, develop state specific SOP, and workout tele consultation system for SCDs with Medical Colleges and Centres of Excellence, Pandit said.