Delhi hospitals face acute shortage of essential thalassemia drug 'Desferal'

Thalassemia patients are struggling to access Desferal, with many government hospitals lacking the drug despite its critical role in managing iron overload from blood transfusions.
Government hospitals in Delhi are grappling with a severe shortage of Desferal, a vital iron chelator essential for the treatment of thalassemia.
Government hospitals in Delhi are grappling with a severe shortage of Desferal, a vital iron chelator essential for the treatment of thalassemia.
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NEW DELHI: Government hospitals in Delhi are grappling with a severe shortage of Desferal, a vital iron chelator essential for the treatment of thalassemia.

The Thalassemia Patients Advocacy Group (TPAG), based in Delhi, has raised alarm over the unavailability of this life-saving drug in state and central government hospitals, even as it remains accessible at private pharmacies.

Anubha Taneja, secretary of TPAG and a thalassemia patient herself, emphasized that despite Desferal being included in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2022 and funded under the National Health Mission, several hospitals—including Smt. Sucheta Kriplani Hospital (SSKH), Lady Hardinge Medical College, and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital—have not stocked the drug for years.

Thalassemia patients depend on regular blood transfusions to survive, but these procedures lead to dangerous iron overload in vital organs, a leading cause of mortality in this population. To combat this overload, patients are prescribed iron chelators. While some can manage with oral treatments, many still require the injection form of Desferal.

The financial burden is equally daunting. The cost of Desferal can skyrocket to around Rs 21,000 per month for patients requiring multiple vials daily. “At approximately Rs 180 per vial, it’s impossible for many to afford the necessary treatment. Most adult patients need about four vials a day, making it an unsustainable expense for private citizens,” she added.

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