Number of children born with thalassemia has decreased over the years as stated by Dr Umar of the Thalassemia Society. He assured that further alleviations will be arranged for the treatment of Thalassemia patients.
Following the ceremony to initiate the national conference by the Maldivian Thalassemia Society, the center’s associate specialist in pediatrics, Dr. Ahmed Umar shared with Mihaaru News that the amount of Thalassemia children grew every year. However, the birth rate of Thalassemia children has decreased over the years, he said.
Umar stated that last year, 10 Thalassemia major children were born while the number stood at 16 in the year 2022.
While 14 children registered as patients of Thalassemia in the year 2016, the number declined in 2017, with 11 registrations. However, birth of Thalassemia patients increased in 2018, with 19 registered children and dwindled once more in the following year to 11. In 2020, registered births saw a rapid decrease with 5 children born with the disorder while the number increased once more to 22 in the year 2021.
Presently, 2 Thalassemia births have been registered this year thus far.
“Not only care, control [of the disorder] also needs to be strengthened. A very beneficial program is currently underway within the control procedures. Under this, a program to test Grade 10 students for Thalassemia has commenced. This is a very important procedure, testing for Thalassemia before the graduation from 10th Grade and gaining a good knowledge of Thalassemia,” Umar said.
He said that a good systematic procedure is being implemented to provide medicine and iron chelation medication for Thalassemia patients.
Medicine for Thalassemia children was released in local islands through State Trading Organization (STO) run pharmacies. However, those pharmacies were required to collect a permit from the STO Medical Center in Male’ City in order to dispense these medicine. Due to the delays caused by this, Maldives Blood Services has transferred the procurement of medicines to STO. Subsequently, the medicine distributed from Male’ Thalassemia Centers was also transferred to Pharmacies.
Umar stated that the distribution of medicine has been changed back to the Thalassemia centers due to concerns of Thalassemia children.
In addition to blood transfusion, aid from doctors in other areas are required for these patients. As such, Umar assured that arrangements will be made to easily book an appointment at the Dharumavantha Hospital after identifying the Thalassemia children who require the hospital’s aid.
He highlighted that with the establishment of the new Thalassemia center arranged by the State to be built in Hulhumale, further efforts for the care of Thalassemia patients will begin in addition to further measures in controlling the disorder.
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