Sawant assures care for haemophilia patients in Maharashtra

NAGPUR: Health minister Deepak Sawant on Tuesday assured all help to haemophilia patients in the state after the matter was raised through a calling attention motion in the state legislative assembly by Babanrao Shinde. The member said a five-year-old boy of Pandharpur village in Marathwada died on April 29 since he did not get timely treatment and the crucial blood component.

Aniket Shirse needed immediate dose of Factor 7, which was not available at Pandharpur. His parents, with the help of Haemophilia Society of India’s (HSI) Aurangabad unit, admitted him to a private hospital but were asked to rush the patient to Mumbai. By the time they reached the state capital, it was too late and the boy did not survive.

Dr Sawant admitted that there was a lapse in the case, and the person who gave wrong information that the treatment was not available at Nashik, which was closer, would face action. He said a haemophilia patient has serious problems as a component factor has to be transfused within 24 hours to get clotting functional. HSI, which maintains records of such patients, and the nearest treatment centres, should avail services of helpline 104 and 108 in emergency.

Members said in the absence of working government centres, patients had to incur costly treatment ranging from Rs15,000 to Rs1.5 lakh at private hospitals. They also alleged that despite approvals several government centres were not started, and those set up did not have necessary medicines and doctors. Dr Milind Mane pointed out that 430 patients were listed at Daga Hospital in Nagpur but Dr Sanjay Deshmukh appointed there by the government was yet to join. The minister said he would find out the reasons for the delay in the doctor taking up the new assignment.