’I-day’ gift for Thalassaemia patients in Dakshina Kannada

Mangalore Today News Network

Aug 15, 2017: The 71st Independence Day celebrations will usher in cheer and new hope for hundreds of thalassaemic in Dakshina Kannada district.

A thalassaemia day care centre with six beds in RAPCC building (second floor) in district Wenlock Hospital will be inaugurated on August 15 at 11 am, said Wenlock Hospital superintendent and district surgeon Dr Rajeshwari Devi H R.

The day care centre and blood bank will be shifted to a permanent building, that is being constructed near Lions Limbs Centre in the hospital premises, she said.
District early intervention officer and nodal officer for hemoglobinopathies Dr U V Shenoy said that though the district has seven medical colleges, there are no centre of excellence for clinical management of thalassaemia.

“The centre will be a boon for hundreds of patients suffering from thalassaemia and related hemoglobinopathies. The centre will provide holistic, systematic management and cure to children suffering from thalassaemia, sickle cell disease among others. Earlier children had to visit different centres for proper blood transfusion, medicines, routine investigation among others, he said.

The centre, in partnership with the Bengaluru-based Sankalp India Foundation (SIF), Indian Women’s Association (IWA) in Kuwait, Seva Bharati and Kalpa Trust will be able to provide consultation with international experts.

In addition, the centre will provide oral iron-chelating drugs, folic acid, calcium tablets, portable infusion pumps for those who need aggressive chelation therapy, free of cost.Treatment will also be provided to thalassaemia intermedia with minimum blood transfusion and hydroxyl urea. The centre will conduct ‘HLA’ (Human Leukocyte Antigen) typing of all thalassaemics in order to promote bone marrow transplant surgeries.

Several programmes

The centre will create awareness, screen parents and start an antenatal screening programme for pregnant mothers, Dr Shenoy informed. “With the help of department of Life sciences, KMC Manipal, the centre will initiate research on genetic mutations in thalassaemia,’’ he said.

Dr Tahseen Khan of Indian Women’s Association (IWA), Kuwait, sponsoring medicines and scholarships to thalassaemics for the last seven years, has promised all help to the centre.

Seva Bharati has been supporting thalassaemics by organising blood donation camps regularly, maintaining blood donors register, providing Iron chelating tablets, supporting parents awareness meetings among others. Seva Bharati with help from a donor has donated ILR (a cooler) to the centre, said Dr Shenoy.

Sankalp India Foundation (SIF) president Lalith Parmar said that the centre in Wenlock Hospital is fourth such centre in Karnataka (two in Bengaluru and one in Belagavi).

“We intend to reach out to every child suffering from thalassaemia and help them lead a life free from such blood disorders,’” he said. Dr Shenoy hoped to enroll a minimum 200 children in the centre within a year.