<i>'50 lakh suffer from blood-related disorders' </i>

29 May 2010, 18:00 PM

Bss, Dhaka

Around 50 lakh people, including children, suffer from blood-related disorders in Bangladesh, haematologists said yesterday, urging the government to set up a bone marrow transplantation centre immediately in Dhaka to give patients respite from expensive treatments abroad. “The country has only about 50 haematologists to serve an estimated 50 lakh people suffering from blood- related disorders, “Prof Dr MA Khan, head of haematology department of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) told BSS on the sidelines of the first conference of Bangladesh Society of Haematology at a local hotel. Prof Khan said the number of blood -related patients was growing in the country as the burden of non-communicable diseases supersedes the national burden of infectious and communicable diseases. He said the people who have been suffering from haematological disorders now have access to limited services only at six places, while patients who require bone marrow transplantation go to India, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia for treatments. “A patient is required Tk 40 lakh for bone marrow transplantation in India and Tk 1 crore in Singapore,” Dr Khan said, adding that the cost could be minimised to Tk 10-15 lakh provided a transplantation centre is set up either in DMCH or Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) at an initial investment of Tk 30-50 crore. According to Prof Khan, Bangladeshi people suffer from haematological disorders such as blood cancer, lymphoma, multiple miloma, aplastic anemia, thalassaemia and hemophilia. The level of understanding of such diseases at people's level is very poor, he said, adding that people rush to the doctors at late stage of the diseases. He thanked the medicine departments of different medical colleges for taking care of patients with haematological disorders, but insisted that the haematological department should be established with adequate beds at every public medical colleges and institutes. According to him, DMCH has now around 15 beds for treatment of blood-related disorders. Health Minister Dr AFM Ruhal Haque, who attended the function as the chief guest, told the haematologists that steps have already been taken to establish the department at every public medical college so that people can get services at their nearby places. “I have personally contacted Aga Khan Medical Institute to set up a haematological institute in Bangladesh as well,” Dr Ruhal said, adding that plenty of thalassaemia patients were now in Bangladesh, who require better treatment. State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Mujibur Rahman Fakir, Secretary General of Bangladesh Medical Association Prof Dr Sharfuddin Ahammed, General Secretary of Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad Prof Dr M Iqbal Arslan and General Secretary of Bangladesh Society of Haematology Dr M Salahuddin Shah also spoke at the meeting with Society President Prof M Jalilur Rahman in the chair.