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Time of India
04-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Rules to be framed soon to make pre-marital thalassemia test mandatory: Minister
Mumbai: Maharashtra will soon frame rules to make testing of thalassemia mandatory for people before marriage as part of a broader initiative to eradicate the disease, minister Meghana Bordikar said in the state assembly on Thursday. Responding to a question raised by MLA Vikas Thakre during the Question hour, the minister of state for public health said there are currently around 12,860 thalassemia patients in Maharashtra. Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that affects the body's ability to produce hemoglobin and healthy red blood cells. On Thakre's demand that thalassemia testing may be made mandatory before marriage, Bordikar said, "We will soon frame rules on making the test mandatory before marriage." "This is a serious genetic disorder, and if not diagnosed in time, it can be passed on to the next generation. We have launched a thalassemia eradication campaign , starting with a pilot project in Parbhani, which is now being expanded across the state," she said. She also assured that thalassemia treatment centres will be established in every district. The minister also informed the House that a probe was underway by the health department commissioner into alleged corruption in the purchase of cancer diagnostic vans . Speaker Rahul Narwekar directed the inquiry report be tabled in the assembly before the end of the current session. The main question was raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Bhaskar Jadhav, who alleged that vans were purchased at double the price. Congress Legislature Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar alleged irregularities in the purchase of cancer diagnostic vans by the state public health department and demanded that the probe report be tabled in the assembly before the end of the ongoing session. The state government had procured eight cancer diagnostic vans, but according to Wadettiwar, the vehicles were purchased at highly inflated prices. "The cost of one van should not exceed Rs 40 lakh, and the diagnostic equipment inside is not worth more than Rs 12 lakh. Despite this, the vans were bought at much higher rates, indicating possible corruption," he said. He also claimed some of the equipment in these vans was non-functional. "This is a serious matter involving a life-threatening disease like cancer. There is an ongoing inquiry, but no report has been submitted so far," Wadettiwar said. He said the inquiry should be completed and its report presented before the House before the end of the current monsoon session. Responding to the demand, the speaker directed that the probe be expedited and the report be submitted in the assembly before the conclusion of the session. The monsoon session of the state legislature will end on July 18.
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Rules to be framed soon to make pre-marital thalassaemia test mandatory, says Maharashtra minister
Mumbai: Maharashtra will soon frame rules to make testing of thalassaemia mandatory for people before marriage as part of a broader initiative to eradicate the disease, minister Meghana Bordikar said in the assembly on Thursday. Responding to a question raised by MLA Vikas Thakre during the Question Hour, the minister of state for public health said there are currently around 12,860 thalassaemia patients in Maharashtra. Thalassaemia is a genetic blood disorder that affects the body's ability to produce haemoglobin and healthy red blood cells. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai On Thakre's demand that thalassaemia testing may be made mandatory before marriage, Bordikar said, "We will soon frame rules on making the test mandatory before marriage." "This is a serious genetic disorder, and if not diagnosed in time, it can be passed on to the next generation. We have launched a thalassaemia eradication campaign, starting with a pilot project in Parbhani, which is now being expanded across the state," she said. She also assured that thalassaemia treatment centres will be established in every district. The minister informed the house that a probe was underway by the health department commissioner into alleged corruption in the purchase of cancer diagnostic vans. Speaker Rahul Narwekar directed the inquiry report be tabled in the assembly before the end of the current session. The main question was raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Bhaskar Jadhav, who alleged that vans were purchased at double the price. Congress legislature party leader Vijay Wadettiwar alleged irregularities in the purchase of cancer diagnostic vans by the state public health department and demanded that the probe report be tabled in the assembly before the end of the ongoing state government had procured eight cancer diagnostic vans, but according to Wadettiwar, the vehicles were purchased at highly inflated prices. "The cost of one van should not exceed Rs 40 lakh, and the diagnostic equipment inside is not worth more than Rs 12 lakh. Despite this, the vans were bought at much higher rates, indicating possible corruption," he said. He also claimed some of the equipment in these vans was non-functional. "This is a serious matter involving a life-threatening disease like cancer. There is an ongoing inquiry, but no report has been submitted so far," Wadettiwar said. He said the inquiry should be completed and its report presented before the house before the end of the current monsoon session. Responding to the demand, the speaker directed that the probe be expedited and the report be submitted in the assembly before the conclusion of the session. The monsoon session of the state legislature will end on July 18.
Time of India
03-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Mandatory thalassemia test in Maharashtra: Couples to be tested before marriage; minister says rules to be framed soon
Picture source: Instagram Minister of State, Public Health & Family Welfare, Maharashtra, Meghana Bordikar, said on Thursday that couples may soon need to get tested for thalassemia before marriage. Responding to a demand by MLA Vikas Thakre during the question hour of the assembly, the minister said, " 'We will soon frame rules on making the test mandatory before marriage.' She added that about 12,860 people in Maharashtra were currently living with thalassemia. Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that affects the body's ability to produce haemoglobin and healthy red blood cells. 'If not diagnosed in time, it can affect the next generation,' the minister added. The state has already started a thalassemia eradication campaign, beginning with a pilot in Parbhani district. That programme is now being expanded to other parts of the state. Bordikar also said that thalassemia treatment centres would be set up in every district. Meanwhile, the Assembly also discussed alleged irregularities in the purchase of cancer diagnostic vans by the public health department. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Bhaskar Jadhav raised the issue, and Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar claimed the vans were bought at nearly twice the price. 'The cost of one van should not exceed Rs 40 lakh. But they were bought at much higher rates. The equipment inside is worth around Rs 12 lakh,' Wadettiwar alleged. He also claimed some of the equipment in these vans was non-functional. Speaker Rahul Narwekar directed that the inquiry report by the health department commissioner be presented before the end of the monsoon session, which concludes on July 18.
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- General
- Hindustan Times
State govt prevents 29 child marriages on Akshay Tritiya
MUMBAI: Akshay Tritiya is an auspicious occasion for new beginnings – people are commonly known to mark the day by purchasing something precious such as gold, vehicles or homes. In Maharashtra, officials from the Women and Child Development (WCD) department on Wednesday succeeded in preventing 29 child marriages across state scheduled on this day. Earlier, at a meeting held on the issue of child marriages, Meghana Bordikar, WCD minister, had told officials to be on the lookout for such occurrences on this day, considered auspicious according to the Hindu calendar. 'In a single day on Akshay Tritiya our officials stopped a total of 29 marriages in 16 districts. Eleven of those were from Marathwada, nine from Vidarbha and two each from Nashik and Pune regions,' an official from the department told HT. 'We are determined to make Maharashtra free of child marriages. Our officials across state were on an alert mode to the marriages on Wednesday. The concrete steps taken on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya can be sustained to ensure a safe future for children,' said Bordikar. 'This drive will send a message to the public that the department is keeping eye on child marriages and working to prevent them.'
