Sri Vijaya Puram, March 12: The Indian Council of Medical Research – Regional Medical Research Centre (ICMR-RMRC), Sri Vijaya Puram, in collaboration with the Directorate of Health Services (DHS), A & N Administration, organised a hands-on training workshop on the National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission today, for the paramedical staffs of south Andaman District, to strengthen awareness, diagnosis, and management strategies related to Sickle Cell Disease (SCD).
The programme commenced with a welcome address by Dr. Aparup Das, Director, ICMR-RMRC, Sri Vijaya Puram. In his address, he highlighted the importance of the national mission and provided an overview of sickle cell disease, emphasising the need for early diagnosis, screening, and community awareness to reduce the disease burden in India.
Dr. K. S. Mohammed Sameer Ali, Scientist “B”, ICMR-RMRC SVP, explained the causes, genetic inheritance, and basic understanding of sickle cell disease.
Dr. Ravindra Kumar, Scientist “D” from ICMR‑National Institute of Research in Tribal Health, Jabalpur, delivered a detailed lecture on the burden of sickle cell disease in India. He elaborated on the clinical aspects of the disease and highlighted the urgent need for preventive strategies. Speaking on the regional scenario, Dr. I. P. Sunish, Scientist “F”, ICMR-RMRC SVP, discussed the geographical distribution of sickle cell disease in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and emphasised the importance of targeted surveillance and screening programmes.
Further technical insights were provided by Dr. M. G. Madanan, Scientist “F”, ICMRRMRC SVP. He explained the principles of screening methods and introduced confirmatory diagnostic tests used for detecting sickle cell disease.
A practical demonstration of screening techniques, including the solubility test and point-ofcare testing (POCT), was conducted by Dr. Shahina M from DHS and the MRHRU team.
During the session on community engagement, Ms Ankita, a Genetic counsellor, spoke about the importance of generating community awareness and providing counselling in preventing and managing sickle cell disease.
Dr. Rehnuma Parvez, Scientist “E”, ICMR-RMRC SVP, explained the roles and responsibilities of paramedical staff and community mobilizers under the national mission guidelines, emphasizing their critical role in successful implementation at the grassroots level.
The workshop concluded with an interactive session between the paramedical staffs and the Director of ICMR-RMRC SVP, and also post-training evaluation using the MCQ questionnaire conducted by Dr. Sharaniya Lingam, Project Research Scientist-I, ICMRRMRC SVP.
The programme ended with certificate distribution to the participants and a vote of thanks delivered by Dr. Utsha Ghosh, Project Research Scientist-II, MRHRU.
The workshop served as an important platform for healthcare professionals and field staff to strengthen their knowledge and practical skills in screening, counselling, and community-level implementation of the national mission aimed at eliminating sickle cell disease.