Srinagar, June 22: Haemophilia Day Care Centre at SMHS hospital of GMC Srinagar is facing shortage anti-hemophilia drugs due to the lackadaisical approach of JKMSCL putting patients at risk of contracting deadly diseases.
The daycare centre is facing shortage of non-factor drugs including Emicizumab despite GMC authorities furnishing supplementary requirement for the same in January this year.
Syed Majid, president, Hemophilia Society of Kashmir, said the medical college has furnished requirement of non-factor drugs but these haven’t been made available till date by JKMSCL despite obtaining fund commitment from the GMC Srinagar.
He said due to the lack of the life-saving drugs, needed to maintain artificial factor level, at least 80 patients who specifically need this type drug are at risk life bleeding.
“JKMSCL has intentionally diverted the case by seeking confirmation and reconfirmation from GMC Srinagar resulting in abnormal delay,” he alleged.
Majid said Hemophilia is itself a medical emergency and the patients suffer owing to the delay in procurement of requisitioned drugs at JKMSCL level.
“Timely availability of drugs is the only source which saves the patients from any adversity, deformity and losing battle of life,” he said.
Patients complain that over the years the concerned authorities have failed to frame a policy for hemophilia patients due to which they are suffering.
“The unnecessary prolonging the issues at the hands of concerned authorities and their staff need to curb this approach so that the life-saving drug are made available,” he said.
The Hemophilia patients appealed Lieutenant Governor to kindly intervene in the matter and issue instructions to concerned authorities to arrange procurement of drugs on war footing basis to save the precious lives of patients.
Head Department of Pathology GMC Srinagar, Dr Bilal Sheikh said the GMC had given the requirement of drugs including non-factor drugs six months back to JKMSCL.
“We have reminded them many times and we have been moving from one office to another. GMC Srinagar has also approved budget of Rs 3 cr for haemophilia drugs but the corporation has not purchased. We are waiting for it,” he said.
“If the drug is not available then there will be huge issue for the patients and they can bleed and it can lead to death. We can’t use alternative drug,’” he said.
General Manager (K), Jammu and Kashmir Medical Supplies Corporation Limited, Dr. Abdul Majid Mirab, said they will get the drugs within two days.
“I have talked to the concerned head of the department at GMC. We have given approval to get the drugs immediately. Hopefully, we will be getting the drugs in one or two days,” he said.
In 2011, the J&K High Court had directed the health department to keep the factor available 24 hours in the hospital. But in complete disregard to the Court directions, the anti-hemophilia factor often remains unavailable pushing patients to the wall.
