Haemophilia patients led a deputation to the medical superintendent of the Burdwan Medical College and Hospital today as they were failing to get life saving injections of Factor-VIII & Factor-IX, which are highly essential for their sustenance.

The patients complained that the dearth of supply of F-VIII, F-IX intravenous injections caused the death of three patients in recent times. Shamiur Sheikh, a patient, said, “Supplies have been suspended for the last three months, which left us helplessly.”

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The BMCH authorities also pleaded helplessness in the current scenario. Dr Tapas Ghosh, medical superintendent of the hospital said: “We’ve also forwarded requisitions several times during the period but no positive response has come as yet.” He added, “The State government doesn’t supply this. It’s entirely provided by the Centre.”

The Bengal government formed State Blood Cell in 2017 that has two wings – blood storage units and blood disorders under the Haemoglobinopathy Control Programme to privilege thalassemia, sickle cell anemia and haemophilia patients.

The state control unit reported, Kolkata has 817 haemophilia patients, the highest number of patients in Bengal followed by 103 in East Burdwan. Kalimpong has just 4, the state’s lowest. Of them, East Burdwan has 85 Factor-VIII dependent patients and 15 Factor-IX dependent patients.