Affianced couple Sohan Kundu and Debrupa Sarkar after taking a pledge to get themselves tested for thalassaemia. To their left is percussionist Tanmoy Bose at the fund-raising programme at EZCC. Picture by Sudeshna Banerjee

Debrupa Sarkar of BD Block recently got married to Sohan Kundu of Baguiati. What makes the marriage stand out is that the bride had asked the groom to take a thalassaemia detection test and the groom obliged. The marriage took place only after both sides were satisfied with each other’s negative report.

In fact, to raise awareness about the issue Debrupa and Sohan had taken a pledge to go for the test before the audience at Purbashree auditorium in EZCC. The programme, featuring Tanmoy Bose’s percussion unit Taaltantra, Bhoomi and Malhar dance school of BD Block, was a fund-raiser for The Thalassaemic Society of India.

The Telegraph Salt Lake spoke to Namita Mukherjee of FD Block who was present at the programme to figure out how thalassaemia spreads. Over to the lady whose research area is human genetics.

Thalassaemia is caused due to a defective globin protein present in haemoglobin, the oxygen carrier in blood. There are two globin proteins: alpha and beta, each coded by a separate gene. We have two copies of each gene, one coming from each parent. Thus, for both alpha and beta globin we have two copies, one from each of our parents.

As long as the globin genes have no defect in them, normal hemoglobin is produced. If there are mutations in the globin gene(s), it results in defective hemoglobin. When both copies of the gene are defective it results in thalassaemia. According to the nature of the defective gene, thalassaemia is called alpha-thalassaemia or beta-thalassaemia.

Presence of a single defective copy of the gene does not express the disease. The person is called a “carrier” and the person at worst is anaemic at most times.

How it spreads

When two such carriers marry and propose to have children there is a one-in-four chance of having a thalassaemic baby at every conception. The affected person has haemoglobin with very poor oxygen carrying capacity. They need frequent blood transfusion to keep them in normal functioning.

Thalassaemia is a major burden on the society. It can be completely eradicated by preventing marriage between two carriers. We can eradicate thalassaemia by bringing awareness among people.

Better safe than sorry

If every couple gets a simple blood test for thalassaemia done before getting married, they will know whether they are carriers of thalassaemia or not. If both are non-carriers, they need not bother. If any one is a carrier, they will not produce a thalassaemic child.

The issue arises when both are carriers and in such cases they may either decide not to have any children or go for a test called amniocentesis within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy to detect if the child is affected or not. Amniocentosis helps in prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities.

Do you have thalassaemia?

Here are some centres that conduct thalassaemia detection tests. The test costs around Rs 600 and reports are delivered within a week.

• Roy and Trivedi Diagnostic Laboratory
  93, Park Street, Calcutta 700016
  Phone: 22268789
  
  
• Dr Subir Dutta’s Scientific Clinical Research Laboratory
  2, Ram Chandra Das Row, Esplanade , Calcutta- 700013
  Phone: 22651098
  
  
• Park Clinic
  4, Gorky Terrace, Calcutta 700 017
  Phone: 22801986/87