The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control shall develop and maintain the Sickle Cell Disease Voluntary Patient Registry for residents of the State who have been diagnosed with sickle cell disease. The purpose of the registry is to:
(1) enable individuals diagnosed with sickle cell disease to register so that physicians and other health care practitioners providing care to the patient may confirm whether the individual has been diagnosed with sickle cell disease; and
(2) collect and study data on the incidence and nature of sickle cell disease in the State to improve patient care and access to services.