ICMR-CRMCH under ICMR-NIIH in Chandrapur will be inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi
The center was started in the year 2015 as a satellite center for molecular diagnosis of sickle cell and thalassemia.
Chandrapur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Indian Council of Medical Research’s Centre for Research Management and Control of Haemoglobinopathies (ICMR-CRMCH) under ICMR-National Institute of Immunohematology (ICMR-NIIH) at Chandrapur on Sunday.
The center was started in the year 2015 as a satellite center for molecular diagnosis of sickle cell and thalassemia. Thanks to the initiative taken by the then Union Minister of State Hansraj Ahir. Subsequently, prenatal and newborn screening for sickle cell has also been started at the center.
The foundation stone of this center located on Ghugas Road in Chandrapur MIDC was laid by PM Modi in the year 2019. Despite the Kovid-19 epidemic, the construction of the center has also been completed within about three years. Dr Rajvi Bahl, Director General, ICMR has also stated that hemoglobinopathies especially beta-thalassemia and SCD are also the most common single-gene disorders in India. And they put a very significant burden on the healthcare system.
“The prevalence of SCD in the Vidarbha region, especially in the tribal population, is as high as 35% in some tribal groups with the expected carrier frequency. In this context, the work of ICMR-CRMCH, Chandrapur will be instrumental in scaling up the hemoglobinopathy control programs in the region.” Rajvi Bahl said.
Community control programs and basic and translational research programs
The director of the center Dr. Manisha Madkaikar has also said that the center is equipped with world-class facilities. “It will provide services of screening, testing, and genetic counseling for patients not only in the Vidarbha region but also in neighboring states like Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana. The center will also run a hematology clinic and daycare facility for patients with hemoglobinopathies,” she said.
The center is also going to have state-of-the-art diagnostic and research facilities including bio-banking and proteomics facilities. Community control programs and basic and translational research programs are also to be run through this center. The centers are also supposed to support the state and district administration by offering prevention programs by confirming diagnosis, prenatal diagnosis, and screening of newborns.
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