Chhattisgarh government is starting a mobile clinic for sickle cell anaemia patients in the state, official sources said today.

Chief minister Raman Singh will inaugurate the mobile clinic on June 19, the World Sickle Cell Anaemia Awareness Day, at the B R Ambedkar Hospital here.

Sickle cell anaemia is a disease of red blood cells that is passed from parent to child. People with this disease have sickle hemoglobin, a protein of the red blood cells which is different from normal hemoglobin. "Sickled cell" gets stuck in the tiny blood vessels, blocking the flow of blood and causing pain.

The project would be run by the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Government Medical College.

The clinic, having a doctor, a counsellor and technician, would be equipped with all relevant machines, tools and medicines, P K Patra, head of bio-chemistry department at the college, said.

Under the project, the clinic would visit schools and screen children. The students will be given information and basic treatment to those affected. If required, the affected children would be referred to medical experts for further treatment, he said.