NEW DELHI: More than 100 thalassemia patients at Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital have not been receiving leukodepleted blood for over five months, leaving them vulnerable to severe complications and adverse reactions following routine transfusions.
Patients say they have repeatedly appealed to hospital authorities but have not been given clear assurances on when the supply will resume.
A patient, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, “I'm not receiving leukodepleted blood since April. We have submitted letters to the hospital’s head of department and medical director three times, but we are not being given any exact date or month for when this problem will be resolved or how long we have to wait.”
Another patient expressed frustration at the debilitating effects of transfusions without proper blood, saying, “Every time after transfusion, my life becomes hell for the next three days as I suffer from vomiting and severe allergic reactions. My job is affected badly due to this.”
Leukodepleted blood, which undergoes a process to remove white blood cells while retaining red blood cells, is considered essential for thalassemia patients. It minimises risks of transfusion-related complications and ensures safer, more effective treatment.
Hospital sources said the shortage stems from a lack of specialised blood bags needed to store leukodepleted blood. The issue, they added, is linked to the government’s recent shift from individual hospital procurement of medical supplies to a centralised procurement system.
Dr Sunil Kumar, head of the hospital’s blood bank, acknowledged the problem but assured that the supply is expected to resume within a week.
“Till the time, we are doing the process with a normal bag,” he said when asked how transfusions are being managed in the interim. When pressed on handling the side effects of transfusion, he said, “The paediatric department looks after such issues. Anyway, the side effects happen to every patient in varying degrees.”
Expressing deep concern, Anubha T Mukherjee, Member Secretary of the Thalassemia Patients Advocacy Group (TPAG), criticized the lack of priority treatment for thalassemia patients.
“Thalassemics need leukodepleted blood products to avoid blood transfusion-related reactions. Another alternative is a bedside leukocyte filter which costs between Rs 600 and Rs 1,200 per bag. Even economically, it doesn’t make sense. What kind of priority treatment is this and who is actually benefitting from the unavailability of this kind of blood?” she questioned.