Anugola Allocates ₹2.8 Crore DMF Funds for Free Sickle Cell Vaccines in Odisha

05 Oct 2026, 10:56 by Vinay Kakkad · KalingaTV

Anugola: In an effort to tackle secondary infections that often turn fatal for sickle cell carriers, Anugola has become the first district in Odisha to underwrite a specialized, multi-stage pneumococcal vaccination schedule for diagnosed patients.

The program converts Rs 2.8 crore in local mining revenue—drawn directly from the District Mineral Foundation (DMF)—into zero-cost clinical care. Beneficiaries will receive a two-step immunological defense: an initial intramuscular dose of the 13-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV-13), followed two months later by a booster of the 23-valent polysaccharide formula (PPSV-23).

On the open commercial market, this paired course commands upwards of Rs 4,000 per patient, placing it well beyond the economic reach of rural families managing chronic hematological disorders.

The launch event at Anugola’s District Headquarters Hospital on Monday brought together a broad coalition of state and local leadership. Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Mukesh Mahaling inaugurated the drive, framing it as an operational bridge between Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Sickle Cell Anaemia Elimination Mission (NSCAEM) and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s push to realize the wider goals of the Anaemia Mukt Bharat initiative.

Rather than a temporary camp, the protocol is structured to establish permanent, long-term antibodies against acute pneumococcal bacteria for sickle cell patients across the region.