HLA camp for thalassemia patients held in Visakhapatnam

A special medical camp for children with Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Disease was conducted in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. Over 55 families from across Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Paderu, Srikakulam, and Parvathipuram, participated in the camp. More than 200 samples were collected from patient families through cheek swabs for free high-resolution HLA typing. The patients were given expert medical consultations to guide them on potential treatment pathways.

The camp was organised by MGM Cancer Institute, Chennai, under the guidance of noted paediatric transplant specialist, Dr. Deenadayalan Munirathnam, in collaboration with Saptha Foundation and with support from the Department of Paediatrics, KGH. DKMS Foundation, India supported the initiative under its Access to Transplantation (ATT) Program. The programme aims at ensuring access to life-saving stem cell transplants for patients facing medical, financial, and infrastructural barriers. Under this umbrella, the DKMS Thalassemia Programme India provides free high-resolution HLA typing for patients and their family members, facilitating timely donor searches and improving access to transplantation, said the statement.

Dr. Munirathnam said, “Thalassemia remains a significant challenge in our region, affecting more than 10,000 children born with the disease every year. They require early stem cell transplants for a cure. HLA typing is the critical first step in finding family matches, and events like this bridge the gap for underserved families.”

Patrick Paul, executive chairman of DKMS Foundation, India, emphasised their commitment to rural outreach. Sarath Babu Voggu, founder and chairman, Saptha Foundation also spoke.

The swab samples of the patient and the family members would be sent to DKMS Life Science Lab, Germany, for HLA typing. All HLA testing would be done by DKMS Germany free of cost for the patients. The test results are expected within 6–8 weeks and will help guide the families with transplant-related decisions.

As a non-profit organisation dedicated to combating blood cancers and disorders like Thalassemia, DKMS Foundation India has registered over 2,00,000 blood stem cell donors, the release added.