Khunti, famous for being the birthplace of tribal icon Birsa Munda, on Tuesday became the first district in Jharkhand to pay pension to sickle cell patients.

The pension was given to patients with more than 40 per cent severity of sickle cell anaemia-thalassemia on the eve of World Sickle Cell Day.

The pension was given under the Swami Vivekananda Nishakt Swavalamban Protsahan Yojna (a state government pension scheme for the disabled introduced by the JMM-Congress-RJD-led coalition in 2021).

"We are the first district in the state to start a pension scheme for sickle cell patients. In the first phase, nine persons from the district (three each from Khunti and Karra block, two from Murhu and one from Torpa block) were selected. Under this scheme an amount of ₹1,000 per month will be given to the beneficiaries for life,” said Khunti deputy commissioner Lokesh Mishra.

He further said that till now sickle cell screening of 99,165 persons had been done in the district out of which 114 were found to be sickle cell carriers and a total 46 persons were found to be suffering from sickle cell anaemia-thalassemia disease.

“Out of these nine persons who were suffering from 40 per cent or more sickle cell anaemia-thalassemia disease were given pension under Swami Vivekananda Nishakt Swavalamban Protsahan Yojana on the basis of disability certificate issued by a haematologist,” added Mishra.

“At present, while on the one hand, the life expectancy of people has increased because of health facilities, on the other hand, the tribal population is suffering from various diseases. Among these sickle cell anaemia is very widespread. Sickle cell anaemia is a serious disease, it is the responsibility of all of us to spread the information about its remedies and treatment to remote areas. We have flagged off awareness vans to spread awareness across the district,” said Mishra.

Sickle cell anaemia-thalassemia screening and checking camps have been organised in all the district blocks. Several sickle cell mobile medical vans have been dispatched to remote rural areas from the district to conduct sickle cell screening.

“A sickle cell anaemia-thalassemia-day care centre is being run in Sadar Hospital, Khunti, to provide proper medical facilities to people suffering from sickle cell anaemia. Free medical consultation, treatment, medicines and blood are being provided to an average of 15 people suffering from sickle cell anaemia-thalassemia every month at this centre,” said a district official of Khunti.