Subject: Anemia Chale Jao – Nischay 2007, Making Hb & Blood Group a part of admission procedure in Schools & Colleges

Ref: Anemia Chale Jao – Nischay 2007

On behalf of the Safe Motherhood Committee it is my pleasure & privilege to extend Best Wishes to you. I trust this letter finds you I the best of health & spirits.

Safe Motherhood Committee is a part of Federation of Obstetric & Gynecological Society’s of India (FOGSI). It is the largest specialist NGO in the world with a membership of 20,000 plus Gynecologists & Obstetricians. Safe Motherhood Committee & FOGSI like all Govt bodies, WHO, UNICEF, AMDD etc is concerned about Maternal Mortality in India. Anemia is a key predisposing factor in this. Apart from Maternal Mortality, Anemia is closely linked with Intelligence. It has been conclusively proved that low levels of Iron (Hb) in pre-school children leads to a 10 – 15 point drop I Intelligent Quotient (IQ). The incidence of Anemia in the youth ranges from 40 – 70% as per surveys conducted by different agencies like WHO & UNICEF.

Thus the idea of Making Hb & Blood Group testing a part of pre-admission was born. The beginning of this project took place in Indore wherein the then Health Minister Hon’ble Sushama Swaraj did the honors. The program was arranged by Dr Sunanda Jain, North Zone coordinator & the Indore Society. FOGSI has recently (FOGSI Managing Committee meeting held in September 2005) accepted a resolution from Pune Obstetric & Gynecological Society to this effect. It is now mandatory in Pune University & Symbiosis, Pune (Deemed University). The infrastructure to get Hb & Blood Group tested already exists in all Govt hospitals. Parents would neither find it difficult nor would it be a burden for the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.

The outcome expected is that when a child seeks admission in a School / College, the parents are requested to get the Hb & Blood Group reports from a Laboratory / Govt Hospital. If Hb is low, suitable adivse is given by local Obstetric & Gynaecological Society by way of a hand-out. 

Let your / our State/Institute / University / Bank / College / School be a pioneer in this novel & unique concept & its implementation.

With regards & Best Wishes.

Yours truly,

Dr Shirish Patwardhan

Chairperson, Safe Motherhood Committee, FOGSI, 2003-07

105, Om Chambers, J M Road, PUNE - 411005.

Tel: 020 - 25533608 (C), 020-25439242 (R)

                Mobile - 094220-09847

Email: shirish.patwardhan@gmail.com

Website:http://nischay2007.tripod.com