Kerala Health Minister Veena George. File.
| Photo Credit: K.K. Najeeb
Health Minister Veena George on Saturday announced that Wayanad had become the first district in the State to distribute health cards to sickle-cell patients.
She said the initiative aimed to ensure quick access to free treatment, pensions, and other benefits for patients.
The Minister was speaking at the inauguration of the sickle-cell unit in the newly constructed multipurpose building of the Mananthavady Government Medical College Hospital.
She said health cards would be made available to sickle-cell patients through their respective medical offices.
Sickle-cell anaemia is a blood disorder in which red blood cells take on a sickle, crescent, or C-shaped form, reducing their ability to carry oxygen and causing blockages in blood vessels.
The Minister further announced that a special unit with air-conditioned facilities would be set up for patients experiencing physical discomfort.
The 10-bed unit will include high-performance liquid chromatography test labs, along with physiotherapy, examination, and administrative rooms.
Published – March 23, 2025 07:24 am IST