Non-availability of basic medical items such as injections, syringes, cannula, and blood transfusion sets and short opening hours of the centes have made the Thalassemia Centers in Quetta ineffective. Established each in Civil Hospital Quetta, Bolan Medical Complex and Kidney Centers, the Thalas-semia Centers are not fulfilling the needs of the poor and needy patients hailing from far-flung areas of the province.
“I am the regular visitor of the Thalassemia Cen-ters Quetta, said Irfan Mohammad Hasni, a father of three Thalassemia patients and a resident of Kili Lalaabad. I have to arrange blood and purchase syringes, canolas and other basic medical items myself to complete blood transfusion process of my minor kids,” he deplored. Irfan has to visit hospital after every fifteen days for his two daughters aged 13 and 12 and a son of age 3 years.
He said that there are some serious patients who visit Thalassemia Centers after every two days. When asked, he said RBC, the state-of-the-art blood collection center is unable to fulfill the needs of blood for the patients of the Thalassemia forcing patients to beg for blood bag, he lamented. In addi-tion, he said that current timing of the Thalassemia center is 8am to 2pm.
Most of the time, the attendants are asked to com-plete the blood transfusion at home, citing the rea-son of closing hour of hospital. Irfan further de-plored that, several times, he had to leave the proc-ess incomplete.—APP