Welcome to
Valsad Raktdan Kendra
“ Birth place of Sickle Cell Anemia Control Program “
Valsad Raktdan Kendra
“ Birth place of Sickle Cell Anemia Control Program “
Gujarat’s first Sickle Cell Anemia patient was diagnosed at Valsad in 1978. It was also observed that this hereditary abnormal gene is mainly found amongst underprivileged, poor, and uneducated tribal people, who will never go to any laboratory for their blood test on their own, by spending their own money, for Sickle Cell Anemia (Sickling) test. Hence they will remain un-diagnosed and will be wrongly treated by physicians. So the government or any charitable / philanthropic organization should take up this responsibility for free testing by going to the doorstep of these common men.
Sickle Cell Anemia Control Program
So, in 1984, Valsad Raktdan Kendra (VRK) was established by the like minded youngsters and took up the responsibility and started FREE Screening from primary Sickling Test to Molecular level characterizations for Pre Natal Diagnosis (PND) by going to the doorsteps of tribal people and absolutely free of cost. Till today, since 1984, VRK is providing free services to the tribal people, in fact VRK has no receipt book to take money from anybody regarding Sickle Cell investigations.
As this was a huge task and not a one man show, or beyond any one organization’s efforts, the trustees approached the government advocating to take up this responsibility. In 2006, local tribal leaders the than Hon. Tribal Welfare minister and at present Governor of Madhya Pradesh, H.E. Shri Mangubhai Patel brought to the notice of than Hon. Chief Minister and at present Hon. Prime Minister Shri Narendrabhai Modi, who immediately approved the government intervention for this neglected tribal health issue. Valsad Raktdan Kendra was appointed as nodal Agency to incorporate Sickle Cell Anemia Control Program in the Gujarat state in the existing health services as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) program under the Commissionerate of Health & Family Welfare.
Sickle Cell Anemia program was included in National Health Mission (NHM) in 2016 and Hon. Prime Minister announced National Sickle Cell Anemia Elimination Mission in July 2023.
