Kolhapur : Haemophilia patients registered at the treatment facility of Kolhapur’s Chhatrapati Pramila Raje (CPR) Civil Hospital need not worry about shortage of specialised medication for at least a year. Emergency funds of Rs1 crore have been sanctioned by district guardian minister Prakash Abitkar, who is also the state health minister, to procure the necessary medication.
Currently, approximately 550 haemophilia patients are registered at the CPR Hospital facility.
“Hemlibra is highly effective as it also works for haemophilia patients who do not respond to traditional blood-clotting factors,” said hematologist Varun Bafna. “For children, the medication can be administered subcutaneously once a month. This eliminates the need for frequent hospital visits and ensures they do not miss school. Additionally, these injections can be administered by nurses in the absence of a specialist. This medication has proven instrumental in significantly reducing bleeding. These patients travel from neighbouring districts as well as bordering regions of Karnataka to access treatment.
The sanctioned funds will be used to purchase Hemlibra, which costs approximately Rs40,000 per vial in the retail market. In patients with haemophilia A, the blood-clotting factors required to stop bleeding are absent. Treatment typically involves administering these missing factors or non-factor medications such as Hemlibra. Patients at CPR Hospital will receive this medication free of cost. The move comes after several patients approached dean Sadanand Bhise, who subsequently wrote to minister Abitkar seeking financial assistance. Medical experts emphasised the importance of timely treatment, particularly for younger patients. In children with haemophilia, delayed treatment can lead to permanent joint damage, eventually necessitating joint replacement surgeries, which adds to the financial burden and complicates the patient’s health.