Mumbai/Kolkata, 8th May 2026: For thousands living with Thalassemia, where life revolves around repeated hospital visits and transfusions, a new centre of hope has emerged in the city. Manipal Hospitals Mukundapur today unveiled a dedicated Thalassemia Privilege Clinic and Day Care Ward at its Mukundapur facility led by Prof. (Dr.) Rajib De, Head – Clinical Haematology, Haemato-Oncology & Bone Marrow Transplant, Manipal Hospitals Mukundapur Cluster, in the presence of of Dr. Saumen Meur, HOD & Senior Consultant – Paediatrics, Manipal Hospital Mukundapur, Dr. Atanu Kumar Jana, HOD – Neonatal Unit – Paediatrician and Neonatologist, Manipal Hospital Mukundapur, Ms. Jayanti Chatterjee, Hospital Director – Manipal Hospital Mukundapur and Mr. Komal Dashora, Cluster Director - Manipal Hospitals (Mukundapur Cluster), marking a significant step towards enhancing comprehensive and patient-centric care for individuals living with Thalassemia.

The newly inaugurated clinic has been designed to offer comprehensive thalassemia care under one roof and will primarily cater to the paediatric age group up to 18 years, ensuring focused and specialized care for young patients living with thalassemia.  The facility integrates diagnostic services for thalassemia patients and carrier detection, clinical evaluation, transfusion support through a dedicated thalassemia day care ward, prenatal diagnosis, genetic counselling, psychological support, multidisciplinary care, and bone marrow transplantation ensuring truly holistic care. Prof. (Dr.) Rajib De will be available to run the thalassemia clinic once a week, ensuring consistent, specialist-led care for patients. Patients will also be provided with a Thalassemia Privilege Card, enabling them to avail cost-effective care at the clinic.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. (Dr.) Rajib De shared, “Thalassemia remains a major public health concern in India, with an estimated 100,000 to 150,000 patients living with the condition and nearly 10,000–12,000 children born with thalassemia major every year. There is 1.2 thalassaemic birth/1000 live birth in India. The situation is much more alarming in West Bengal and North-Eastern states of India. With more than 10% carrier rate and a huge burden of more than 20000 thalassaemia patients requiring transfusion, this poses a serious health care burden to our state.  The main mode of therapy is lifelong blood transfusion and iron chelation. No medicine can cure thalassaemia. The only curative treatment of thalassaemia is Bone Marrow Transplant. Notably, a dedicated Bone Marrow Transplant unit is also available within the Mukundapur cluster, enabling seamless access to advanced treatment for eligible patients.”

About the launch of the clinic, Dr. Ayanabh Debgupta, Regional Director – Manipal Hospitals East, said, “Eastern India continues to carry a significant burden of thalassemia, with carrier rates of 8–10% in parts of West Bengal and neighbouring states, compared to the national average of 3–4%. At Manipal Hospitals, the Thalassemia Privilege Clinic reflects our commitment to expanding access to affordable, holistic care for patients across the region. From early carrier detection and genetic counselling to help prevent thalassemia births, to offering advanced treatments like Bone Marrow Transplantation, our vision is to move steadily towards a thalassemia-free society.”

The initiative reflects Manipal Hospitals’ ongoing commitment to advancing accessible, comprehensive, and specialized healthcare services. By bringing together expertise, infrastructure, and patient support systems, the hospital aims to significantly improve disease management and overall well-being for thalassemia patients in the region.