THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Taking a significant step forward in haemophilia care, the health department is set to establish a comprehensive centre dedicated to patients with bleeding disorders. This tertiary care facility, expected to be located at the Government Medical College in Kottayam, will provide treatment for a wide range of complications related to bleeding disorders-from physiotherapy to surgical interventions, according to sources familiar with the plan.
The multidisciplinary centre will function as a referral hub, fulfilling the need for a tier-3 facility after the department’s successful implementation of haemophilia care at both taluk and district levels. The initiative is projected to benefit more than 2,200 haemophilia patients currently registered with the department.
“We already have a team in GMC Kottayam performing surgeries and offering day-care services to patients. The new centre will integrate various medical specialties under one roof,” said Dr Rahul U R, child health nodal officer.
Comprehensive haemophilia care necessitates collaboration among different specialists, including hematologists, orthopedic surgeons, and physiotherapists, supported by dedicated diagnostic infrastructure to ensure holistic treatment. A multidisciplinary centre has long been a major demand from patients.
Presently, government facilities lack adequate options for conducting high-risk surgeries for individuals with bleeding disorders. “Patients suffering from uncontrolled bleeding often become disabled at a young age, needing procedures like knee or hip replacement.
They also require physiotherapy post-surgery. Most of them still depend on select private hospitals within and outside the state. We have been calling for a comprehensive government centre for years,” said Jimmy Manual, regional council chairman of the Haemophilia Federation of India.
The health department has taken considerable steps to ensure comprehensive care, including the provision of newer therapies such as monoclonal antibodies, which are offered free of cost to all patients under 18 through the ‘Aashadhara’ scheme. This benefit has recently been extended to adult patients as well.
According to Dr Rahul, bleeding disorders have come under better control with the expanded use of monoclonal antibodies as part of a prophylactic strategy. However, complications in undiagnosed patients and in adults who began prophylaxis late remain a concern. The centre is also expected to feature a screening facility to detect undiagnosed cases and tackle emerging challenges as patients become more active due to improved treatment.
