KARACHI, May 8: Measures, including provision for bone-marrow transplantation in public sector hospitals, are particularly required in the country as more than 6,000 children with thalassaemia major are born here every year.
These children are generally susceptible to other serious diseases too.
The genetic disorder largely diminishes the survival chance of thalassaemiac kids before reaching the age of 10 years. The only lasting option for their survival remains Bone-Marrow Transplant (BMT), not available in any of government sector institution.
There, however, happen to be only two centres in the country undertaking the procedure; and the expenditure borne is though not as high as BMT done abroad, owing to their limitations the two cannot provide the facility to all.
Experts maintain that the screening and blood tests for partners planning to enter into wedlock be made mandatory.
Marriage contracted between two carriers of Thalassaemia minor may in 25 per cent of instances result in birth of thalassaemia major and in 50 per cent cases of Thalassaemia minor.
Thalassaemia, often cited as the silent killer prohibits patients capacity to produce blood and the ailment is manifested through acute weakness, constant fever, pale complexion, loss of appetite and suspended growth.
If the condition is identified within six months of its onset, which is possible through a cost-effective process of diagnosis, a temporary intervention based on regular blood transmission can be started.
According to Haematologist and Surgeon Tahir Shamsi, blood transfusion has its associated risks as the iron content in the child’s body rises by 100 grams effecting his liver, and different body hormones besides possibility of exposing him or her to high blood sugar levels, fits and soforth.
The situation again has to be controlled through administration of defyril injections, which may not be affordable for many, leaving bone-marrow as the most realistic mode of treatment.
Mentioning that bone-marrow transplantation was started in Pakistan in the year 1999 and since then some 60 transplants have been done with a success rate of 84 per cent, the surgeon said that these procedures are internationally monitored and found to be producing much better results as compared to many of the other parts of the world.
Dr. Syed Mohammad Irfan, a haematologist associated with Jinnah Post-Graduate Medical Centre, meanwhile, mentioned Thalassaemia as not merely a matter related to health but a socio-economic issue.
He said all infants born to one of the Thalassaemiac parents should necessarily undergo Hb-Electrophoresis and in case he is found to be Thalassaemia-Minor, due care must be taken that he does get married to another Thalassaemiac.
The haematologists reiterated that since commercial interest can destroy ethics of Bone-Marrow Transplant, hence due support be extended to institutions working on no- profit basis.
On the basis of his experience, Dr. Tahir Shamsi said the community generally comes forth once the urgent cases are undertaken without unnecessary delay.
BMT was stated to have much improved response among Aplastic Anaemic and Blood Cancer patients respectively below 20 years of age.
Need was also stressed to discourage the tendency among local patients willing to seek BMT abroad as they too have to remain dependent on immunosuppressive drugs at least for a year and also cannot avoid infections in the questionable quality of environmental standards in the country.
The BMT procedure itself is simple and involves no complication. However, post-operative care is quite laborious and demanding, they said.—APP
