Srinagar, Apr 17: Society for Haemophilia Care (SHC) in India Tuesday organized the awareness cum interactive camp to observe the World Haemophilia Day here.
 “The program was meant to create awareness about medical and psychosocial aspects of the haemophilia so that the affected persons can live normally as anybody else,” the organizers said.
 On the occasion Executive Director, SHC, Vijay Kaul raised several issues concerning the affected persons. “The affected persons undergoing treatment for blood clotting disorder (haemophilia) at SMHS here face many problems in absence of proper Haemophilia Care Center and absence of life saving medicine for their treatment,” Kaul said.
 “The authorities at SMHS hospital shouldn’t compromise while procuring the plasma factor (called Anti Hemophilia Factor) for the affected people,” he added.
 According to him there was a proper court order that stresses on the quality control and maintaining international standards to save haemophiliacs from life threatening infections.
 On the occasion the members of SHC, Kashmir Chapter also raised issues concerning the affected people. “Most of the haemophiliacs have already acquired Hepatitis C due to injection of unscreened blood product in the past. Now if the quality of the AHF factor cannot be maintained, it will prove fatal for them,” said Syed Majid, a member, who himself is affected with the disease.
 As per the society members a 10-year-old boy (name withheld) from north Kashmir’s Tangmarg area is the recent victim of the ‘callous approach’ shown by the authorities. “A severe haemophiliac, the boy had gone to SMHS hospital to receive treatment for this life threatening bleed. After receiving shot of the low quality Factor VIII injection, he developed severe reaction and is now battling for his life at his residence in absence of specialized treatment,” they said.
 “One more person, aged 35 years is also battling for his life at SKIMS Soura. He didn’t want to risk his life with this low quality factor procured by the hospital administration,” the members said.
 “We urge the government to take remedial steps to make available safe and quality factors to the suffering children as per the internationally accepted drug specifications,” said another member, Javaid Ahmad.
 While interacting with the patients Head of Department, Blood and Transfusion and Haemotology, SMHS Hospitals, Dr Ruby Reshi, said the awareness levels on Haemophilia were remarkably low. “We need to create more and more awareness about the disease so that people are able to identify the symptoms and come forward for diagnosis,” Dr Reshi said.
 “Also it’s very important to provide existing list of affected people in J&K with highly purified plasma so that the threat of blood borne disease like HIV and Hepatitis is eliminated completely,” she added.
 Besides others Nodal Officer Haemophlia Care at GMC, Srinagar, Dr Sarwat and Haemotologist, Dr Mukhtar Ahmad Masoodi also spoke on the occasion.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 17 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 IST