Maharashtra will soon introduce rules to make thalassemia testing compulsory for individuals before marriage, as part of a wider initiative to eradicate the disease, Minister Meghana Bordikar announced in the state assembly on Thursday.

While responding to a question raised by MLA Vikas Thakre during the Question Hour of the Monsoon Session 2025, the Minister of State for Public Health stated that Maharashtra currently has approximately 12,860 thalassemia patients.

Thalassemia is a genetic blood disorder that impairs the body's ability to produce haemoglobin and healthy red blood cells.