NGO adopts 64 thalassaemia patients

Rajkot, May 8 (UNI) A city-based NGO has adopted 64 thalassaemia major patients and will provide blood transfusion to them every month to create awareness about the disorder and help those suffering from it.

The Vivekanand Youth Club has adopted 64 patients, who are mainly in the age group of one month to 18 years.

Organisation member Mittal Khetani said thalassaemia can be major or minor. While Thalasamemia minors are healthy for the most part, people with Thalassaemia major need frequent blood transfusions, he explained.

They also need to take injections daily to bring down high levels of iron in the body, a direct result of all those transfusions.

There are nearly 2,000 children in the Saurashtra region suffering from this disease, he said.

Thalassaemia is a life-long genetic blood disorder that affects a person's ability to produce haemoglobin, resulting in anaemia.

The only treatment provided to patients are regular transfusions of red blood cells.

Thalassemia major patients require transfusions of red blood cells, every 4 to 6 weeks depending on the individual's consumption of infused cells.

He said, our organisation has urged the State government to issue free State Transport passes for thalassemia patients so that they can get some financial relief in transportation charges as the treatment of thalasssemia major is very costly and they have to incur huge expenses for the treatment.

The organisation has also opened round the clock helpline for such patients with the aim to assist them, Mr Khetani added.

UNI