Haemophilia Centre in Bengaluru

MANGALURU: The first Haemophilia treatment centre in the country will be launched in Bengaluru next year, said Health Minister U T Khader. He told reporters on the sidelines of a review meeting  at the Government Wenlock Hospital at Hampankatta on Wednesday that Haemophilia and Thalassemia diseases need to be tackled at an early stage. The proposed centre will assist all medical colleges and government hospitals in the state by providing medicines and referral support to patients. He said tribal communities were found to be more prone to Thalassemia. The minister said the State Health Department had been directed to supply anti-venom to all government hospitals. District hospitals should co-ordinate with primary and taluk health centres in the distribution. In the first phase, 50,000 units (50 units for each PHC) of anti-venom will be distributed. Khader said the government’s plan to set up generic medicine centres would be a great help to the people. They will get 60 and 20 per cent discount on MRP on generic and non-generic medicines respectively. These  medicine centres will be established at all district government hospitals and will work round-the-clock, he added. He said efforts are on to establish a government medical college on the Wenlock Hospital premises. “We are urging the Medical Council of India to relax their norms on land availability. Wenlock has all the facilities and equipment that a medical college needs,” he said. Opposing the move to shift the hospital to make space for the medical college, Khader said shifting it would defeat its main purpose of providing health care to the poor and needy. Patients From Kerala Khader said the Kerala government should clarify whether it is ready to treat patients from Karnataka in their hospitals. “There is no need for controversy in the treatment provided to patients from Kasaragod. Wenlock officials should not feel that patients of their state are deprived of health care facilities due to patients from Kerala,” he added.   Agencies