Thalassemia drugs

Thalassemia is a blood disorder when the patients regularly need blood transfusions. Regular blood transfusion leads to accumulation of iron in the body which is toxic and has to be removed. Drugs to remove the iron have never been regularly available in our country.
Desferal, an injectable form, was available in a very limited number of shops and used to be sold for Taka 50 three years back. Recently, it was sold for Tk 200 but suddenly it is not available in the market. Another drug, Kelfer, from India was imported by the Thalassemia Foundation but is also not available for the last fifteen days. These drugs are very essential for these patients to remain alive and have to be regularly taken. In Dhaka Shishu Hospital, parents of thalassaemic children are facing a critical situation for non availability of these drugs
The government should make these drugs available at a subsidised rate. It may be mentioned here that thalassemic patients need these drugs throughout their lives.