One specialist for 100,000 blood disease patients
Sunday, 30 May 2010
There is only one specialist for 100,000 patients suffering from blood diseases, reports bdnews24.com.
The statement was given on inauguration of a haematology conference of Bangladesh Society of Haematology in the city Saturday.
President of the organising committee Dr MA Khan said after the inauguration about the severe dearth of haematologists in Bangladesh.
"There are only 50 specialists for nearly 5 million patients with blood diseases in Bangladesh."
There is a lack of treatment facilities for all types of blood diseases including blood cancer, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, anaemia, thalassemia and other diseases.
So, a large number of patients seek treatment abroad.
"Till now, there is not even one centre for bone marrow transplantation."
MA Khan said that these patients spend millions of taka abroad.
He also said that there were about 400 patients who needed bone marrow transplantation and most of them could be cured if there were transplantation centres in the country.
"But instead, those who cannot afford to go abroad, die without treatment."
Bone narrow transplantation requires Tk 4 million in India and Tk 10 million in Singapore.
A bone marrow transplantation centre would need about Tk 300 to Tk 400 million to be built, he estimated and pointed that if there were such a facility in the country, then patients could have been given treatment there.
Only six government hospitals in Bangladesh have haematology departments.
But chemotherapy, medicine, separate wards, laboratory testing facilities remain severely insufficient.
Many patients are not getting the required treatment, said the doctor.
Due to a lack of haematologists, medicine specialists treat blood diseases, he said.
"Steps have been taken to increase the number of such specialists at the medical college hospitals," said health and social welfare minister AFM Ruhal Haque.
He also assured his audience about the availability of all required logistics at the haematology departments.
State Minister for Health Mozibur Rahman Fakir said that the Prime Minister had already instructed the relevant authorities to build bone marrow and liver transplantation centres.
The statement was given on inauguration of a haematology conference of Bangladesh Society of Haematology in the city Saturday.
President of the organising committee Dr MA Khan said after the inauguration about the severe dearth of haematologists in Bangladesh.
"There are only 50 specialists for nearly 5 million patients with blood diseases in Bangladesh."
There is a lack of treatment facilities for all types of blood diseases including blood cancer, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, anaemia, thalassemia and other diseases.
So, a large number of patients seek treatment abroad.
"Till now, there is not even one centre for bone marrow transplantation."
MA Khan said that these patients spend millions of taka abroad.
He also said that there were about 400 patients who needed bone marrow transplantation and most of them could be cured if there were transplantation centres in the country.
"But instead, those who cannot afford to go abroad, die without treatment."
Bone narrow transplantation requires Tk 4 million in India and Tk 10 million in Singapore.
A bone marrow transplantation centre would need about Tk 300 to Tk 400 million to be built, he estimated and pointed that if there were such a facility in the country, then patients could have been given treatment there.
Only six government hospitals in Bangladesh have haematology departments.
But chemotherapy, medicine, separate wards, laboratory testing facilities remain severely insufficient.
Many patients are not getting the required treatment, said the doctor.
Due to a lack of haematologists, medicine specialists treat blood diseases, he said.
"Steps have been taken to increase the number of such specialists at the medical college hospitals," said health and social welfare minister AFM Ruhal Haque.
He also assured his audience about the availability of all required logistics at the haematology departments.
State Minister for Health Mozibur Rahman Fakir said that the Prime Minister had already instructed the relevant authorities to build bone marrow and liver transplantation centres.