The sudden discovery of a high percentage of thalassaemia carriers among the students of a college has prompted the Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) to conduct screening camps at other educational institutions as well.

More than 3.5 lakh students are enrolled in over 123 colleges across the city.

The institution from where the samples were collected is Netajinagar Day College, located in ward 98. Following a discussion between mayor Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya and principal Dilip Chakraborty, blood samples of all 123 students were sent for tests in the last week of May.

The report, handed over to the civic authorities on Thursday, revealed that 24 students, around 19 per cent, were thalassaemia carriers.

?The figure is unusually high, as the average prevalence of thalassaemia carriers in the city is hardly nine per cent,? said chief municipal health officer (CMOH) Deb Dwaipayan Chattopadhyay.

Soon after receiving the report, municipal commissioner Alapan Bandyopadhyay directed the CMOH to carry out similar tests in other educational institutions, as early detection of thalassaemia carriers will help check the prevalence of this inherited and incurable disorder among children.

Accordingly, the civic health department has tied up with a clinic, which will charge Rs 100 (less than half the market rate) for testing the blood sample of a student sent by the CMC.

The institutions themselves will have to foot the bill. The Netajinagar college had paid the bill from the funds it received from the University Grants Commission.

?The students who have been found to be thalassaemia carriers must be cautious while choosing their spouses, to avoid the risk of their children being afflicted with the disease,? said mayoral council member (health) Subodh Dey.

?We will organise camps in colleges that respond to our proposal and collect blood samples,? said CMOH Chattopadhyay. The state health department, too, wants the civic body to play a proactive role in identifying thalassaemia carriers in the city.