Prolonged blood transfusion therapy and anemia can cause cardiac problems. Cardiac problems contribute significantly to mortality and poor quality of life for thalassemia patients. Timely intervention can help prevent and manage cardiac complications and save the patient and the family from suffering and huge financial burden.Annual cardiac screening has been prescribed for all children with thalassemia major above the age of 12 years. The high cost of screening, the lack of awareness of the need for screening and the logistical difficulties individual families face keep the children away from cardiac screening until the problems associated with the heart begin to show up clinically.
The good news is that Sankalp India Foundation is now offering to all the kids being supported by the organisation for thalassemia care - annual car di ac scr e ening in association with Sri Jayadeva I nst it ute of Car dio - vascular Science(SJICSR) and Jai Shiv Shakti Health and Educational Foundation.
The includes 2-D ECHO and ECG beside consultation with a cardiologist.
In last few weeks 37 children have been screened and over next 2 months the remaining children who must undergo this screening will be sent to SJICSR for screening. Annual screening has now become a regular aspect of the comprehensive care and management the children coming to the Sankalp supported centers for thalassemia receive. ThalCare - the dedicated application for thalassemia management will enable systematic documentation, timely follow-ups and scheduling so as to ensure that maximum benefit with most judicious use of the support the community is providing to the thalassemia patients is achieved.
Sankalp India Foundation takes this opportunity to express heartfelt gratitude to Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardio-vascular Science for offering the screening to these children free of charge and Jai Shiv Shakti Health and Educational Foundation for supporting the organisation and enabling access to the crucial cardiac screening to the most vulnerable children suffering from thalassemia.
