Father Muller Medical College and Sankalp India Foundation Join Hands to Inaugurate Father Muller Thalassemia Centre
Mangaluru: March 21, 2024: Father Muller Medical College (a unit of Father Muller Charitable Institutions) in collaboration with the Sankalp India Foundation marked a significant milestone with the inauguration of the Father Muller Thalassemia Centre. The inaugural ceremony took place at the general ward ‘L ward’ and was followed by a program in the Father Muller Convention Center on March 21st, 2024, at 12:30 p.m.
The event was graced by Chief Guest Dr. Vivekananda Bhat, Asst. Prof. Dept. of Medical Genetics, KMC Manipal, and presided over by Rev. Fr. Richard Aloysius Coelho, Director, FMCI. The Management Committee, HOD, and Faculty of Pediatrics, HOD of IHBT, were also in attendance.
Fr. Jeevan, Administrator of FMMCH, led the gathering to the event with an introduction and a brief on the need for this thalassemia center, which included a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The prayer was conducted by the Director FMCI, and hymns were sung by Rev. Fr Ajith B. Menezes, Administrator FMMC. Dr. Sreedhar Avabharatha, HOD Pediatrics, briefed on the thalassemia center and emphasised the role of management at FMCI in providing free care for people suffering from Thalessmia. Dr Chandana Pai stressed the importance of the need for the thalassemia center and urged people to donate blood often so that ailing patients may benefit from it and lives may be saved. She also stressed that Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder characterized by abnormal hemoglobin production, leading to severe anemia.
The center, which was formerly located at a government hospital, had to be shifted to the campus due to a deficit of funds.
Dr. Kirana Pailoor, Head of Immunohaemotolgy and Blood Transfusion at IHBT, played a crucial role in arranging a continuous blood supply for thalassemia patients, emphasizing the collaborative efforts involved in managing this condition.
Under the expertise of Dr. Chandana Pai, a pediatric hematologist and oncologist, and the leadership of Rev. Fr. Richard Aloysius Coelho, Director of FMCI, and Rev. Fr Jeevan George Sequeira, Administrator of FMMCH, the Thalassemia Center has become a reality. The center is benefiting over 150 children and adults. It requires about two to three donors to provide blood and its components for one person suffering from Thalassemia. Along with free blood transfusions, free medication and counseling are also provided.
The collaboration between Father Muller Medical College and the Sankalp India Foundation has brought hope and support to those battling Thalassemia, making a positive impact on the community.
