KOZHIKODE: Be it Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASP) or Karunya Benevolent Fund, Thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia patients are out of the purview of any government scheme. These genetic disorders need life-long treatment and patients are running from pillar to post to get them included in one of the schemes.
According to Blood Patients’ Protection Council Kerala (BPPCK), the state has 1,300 sickle cell anaemia patients and more than 700 Thalassemia afflicted. “It is cruel on the part of authorities not to permanently include them in any of the schemes. Only a few people who have registered as patients with differently abled under a Central Government scheme are getting meagre help,” said Kareem Karasserry, state general convener of BPPCK.
He said many a time patients have approached both the UDF and LDF governments to include them under Karunya scheme, but nothing materialised. “A Thalassemia patient needs blood transfusion twice a month to compensate for low haemoglobin. As the patient is not admitted, it is cited as the reason for not being covered under Karunya,” Kareem said.
Patients have to reach Kozhikode Medical College Hospital (KMCH) from far off places as leukocyte-filtered blood is available only there. “I got medicines and transfusion under the state government’s ‘Thalolam’ scheme till I was 18. Now, it has been stopped. The blood filter set needed for transfusion is not available locally. I have to bring it from New Delhi. Medicine cost is too much to bear,” said Aarushi Rajeev, a Narikkuni native, who is a Thalassemia patient.
M Mohammad Irshad’s plight is heart-rendering. The 48-year-old Kondotti native is sickle cell anaemic and his two children are afflicted with both sickle cell anaemia and Thalassemia. “Once in a while, I get medicines under a scheme meant for tribals as tribal people are prone to sickle cell anaemia. There is no permanent succour,” he said.
Unavailability of life-saving drugs on time has affected Irshad’s kidney functioning. He is also suffering from hip joint fracture as a result of the poor treatment of sickle cell anaemia. Like Aarushi and Irshad, a vast number of Thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia patients are pleading to the authorities to include them in one of the benevolent schemes.
lNumber of sickle cell anaemia patients-1,300
lNumber of Thalassemia patients-700
lThalassemia patient needs blood transfusion twice a month
lAs they are not in the ‘in-patient’ category, Thalassemia and sickle cell anaemia patients are excluded from Karunya scheme