In quest of comprehensive treatment facilities

Thalassaemia is an inherited blood disease. In thalassemia, the genetic defect results in the formation of abnormal haemoglobin molecules, and this in turn causes the anaemia which is the characteristic presenting symptom of the thalassemias.
Other consequences of the disease are deposition of iron from the haemoglobin affecting the reticuloendothelial system of the body.
So the mainstay of thalassaemia treatment is blood transfusion at a regular interval and removing of iron from body by iron chelating agents.
If this can be maintained strictly, thalassaemia patients can also lead almost a normal and productive life. But most of the cases it does not happen. There remains various causes behind it.
First of all, patients seriously lack from proper knowledge about how to manage the disease and other important issues. Secondly comes the crisis of quality blood frequently. Sometimes patients get infected from poor quality blood. Thirdly, many patients cannot maintain the iron chelating agents. Sometimes availability of drug is a problem, while most often not maintaining a proper guideline is the serious issue.
Above all, handling all these issues from the childhood, patients and their families are very exhausted. Many patients are quite in a fix what to do, where to go and with many more questions.
During treatment, proper evaluation and monitoring of the patients are very crucial which are not maintained very often.
To handle all these crises of the thalassaemaia patients, Bangladesh Thalassaemia Foundation (BTF) has come forward with their comprehensive thalassaemia treatment centre named "Asha Thalassaemia Centre" in the capital.
Dr Abdur Rahim, Secretary General of Bangladesh Thalassaemia Foundation informed Star Health that they have opened the centre with a view to mitigate the problems of the patients from one stop centre. At this centre, they maintain a database of their registered patients by which they monitor their status and communicate with them in time.
"Patients in our country are not properly aware of this disease properly. We are also trying to make them aware of it so that they can cope with the disease easily", told Dr Rahim in a brief interview at his centre.
BTF offers the source of quality blood to their patients, provides iron chelating agents from the centre, monitor the health status of the patients by the doctors at the centre, manage discounted tests from renowned laboratory. Above all they communicate with their patients frequently and when needed.
For the awareness about the disease, BTF provide proper guideline for medical care and counseling not only to the patients, but also to the physicians.
Each thalassemia patient has his or her own specific needs. Staffs of BTF hope that their comprehensive services will make a meaningful difference in both the quality and quantity of life of thalassaemia patients in the country.
The Asha Thalassaemia Center is located at 44/2, Chamelibag, Shantinagar, Dhaka 1217, Bangladesh. Phone 88-02-8332481, 01190840191 email: [email protected] web: www.thals.org