Thalassemia is a hereditary or genetic disease. It is also a fatal disease. The red blood cells in the body of a patient with thalassemia may not be properly formed.
However, such kind of critical disease like thalassemia can be checked at Chittagong Medical College Hospital (CMCH) for only Tk 600.
Recently, a hemoglobin electrophoresis test machine has been installed in the hospital's hematology department to detect thalassemia.
Chattagram did not have the opportunity to officially identify thalassemia until now.
The test for the detection of thalassemia began at CMCH last Saturday. Abu Saim a medical technician of Hematology Department lab of CMCH, said blood samples are collected first and then the sample is examined. Results are available within an hour.
Hospital sources said the sophisticated machine was recently brought to the hospital. An organization from France brought it. The estimated purchase price of this machine is Tk 30 lakh. This service will provide special benefits to the poor and helpless.
In fact, blood donated by other people is the only means of survival of the thalassemia patient. Patients need to take 1 to 2 bags or more of blood per condition. There is no permanent treatment for thalassemia.
CMCH’s Hematology Department Dr Shahed Ahmed Chowdhury said thalassemia is a serious disease. The disease gradually puts a man to death. However, it is possible to avoid the disease if we aware.
Meanwhile, volunteers working to eradicate the thalassemia hope the eradication of thalassemia will ease. They believe that it is possible to eliminate thalassemia if it is easy to diagnose.
Chief coordinator of Thalassemia Prevention Campaign Bangladesh Surja Das said people are not aware of Thalassemia. If we were aware, it would have been possible to eradicate the disease.
He added that many lacking of funding to test hemoglobin electrophoresis. As a result, the disease spread. However, the problem will be somewhat reduced due to the low cost of service.
