Thalassemia patients across the country are in a state of panic. There is an acute shortage of blood in the blood banks. Supply of crucial medicines is impacted. Thalassemia patients are trying to reach various authorities to resolve the critical issue.
Thalassemia (a genetic disorder) patients need regular packed red cell transfusions for their survival.. Along with transfusions, they also require iron chelation therapy to remove the excess iron which accumulates from the red cell transfusions in the body.
Blood donation largely happens through blood donation camps and through regular blood donors. But due to social distancing norms and now the lockdown, no camps are being held and the regular blood donors are also concerned about risking covid-19 infection by going to crowded hospitals.
The Thalassemia Patients Advocacy Group and the various thalassemia societies in the country have been making persistent appeals to improve levels of blood in the blood banks: Besides, supply of iron chelation drugs has been affected. And now people are also facing challenges reaching the transfusion centres.
This is a critical matter and needs urgent attention from the health authorities to protect the lives of thalassemia patients.
They have taken to twitter : https://twitter.com/pagthals/status/1240298519488917504?s=20. The image used in this article is from their twitter campaign.
They have also written to the government:
Personally, and on behalf of the parents and patients of thalassemia, we sincerely laud the Indian and Karnataka Government for its exemplary actions to beat Coronavirus in India. Unfortunately, thalassemia patients face a life threatening situation even if they don't contract the infection as such. The same is because of the fact that these patients depend on fortnightly blood transfusions. Since blood donation camps have been cancelled to encourage social distancing to prevent Coronavirus, patients of thalassemia are staring at an acute blood shortage in very near future. Karnataka alone has close to 2500 patients who depend on blood banks like Rotary TTK blood bank, Sankalp, Rashtrottana, Red Cross,St John's Hospital, NH, Manipal Hospital, Bowring hospital, BMCRI hospital amongst others. These banks are experiencing severe shortage since people are not donating and camps are not being held. In the above regard, it is our most humble request to you to consider issuing a Public Appeal through print and electronic media, to motivate and guide people for donating blood for the survival of thalassemics who have no other alternative to blood.
All blood banks have put in safety and distancing measures for donors to safely donate blood in their premises. Blood banks like Rotary TTK blood bank are NABL certified and follow the highest standard of hygiene in their premises, for staff, donors and patients. Plus we now have additional questionnaire check, fever check and clinical examination of each donor before donation.
Supply of iron chelation drugs are disrupted in state hospitals. Asunra drug and desferal injections are running out by end of this month in government hospitals. We request to kindly look into this and restore supply.
We are also unable to buy desferal or asunra from novartis counter as your police personnel are forcing closure on medicine agencies despite government orders declaring medicines cannot be stopped. Our patients are being stopped by Bangalore police from going to hospitals for treatment.
As a patient welfare society, we appeal to you to please restore blood and medicine supply and instruct Bangalore police not to stop our patients and blood donors on the roads.
We remain at your disposal for any discussion that you may need in this regard.
Thanking you for your time & kind attention,
Sincerely,
Yours Faithfully
Gagandeep Singh Chandok
President
Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Society of Bangalore
