No end in sight to plight of thalassemia patients in Kozhikode

Kozhikode There is no end in sight to the plight of thalassemia patients as the free distribution of leukocyte filter sets — the medical devices used to separate leukocytes (white blood cells) from the whole blood before blood transfusion — is yet to resume at the Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode. Thalassemia is a group of inherited blood disorders that affect the body’s ability to produce haemoglobin, the iron-containing protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to all parts of the body.

The leukocyte filter sets prevent adverse reaction during blood transfusions. It has been two years since the supply of these medical devices from the blood bank of the medical college hospital was stopped, say functionaries of the Blood Patients Protection Council, Kerala.

Patients in government district hospitals in Kannur and Palakkad, and the Government Medical College Hospital, Wayanad, too are in a similar situation, public health activists say.