Syria’s Manbij records 500 thalassemia cases, no medication
MANBIJ, Syria (North Press) – About 500 cases of thalassemia were recorded in al-Furat Hospital in the city of Manbij, northern Syria, a majority of them is children, an official of the Manbij Health Committee said on Wednesday.
Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder characterized by fewer oxygen-carrying proteins (hemoglobin) and red blood cells in the body than normal.
Najwa Aloush, head of thalassemia department at al-Furat Hospital, said that they have recorded roughly 500 thalassemia cases, though the number increases every day.
The department provides free treatment, according to Aloush.
Twenty-seven children suffer from hemophilia, while the others have contracted thalassemia, including alpha and beta. Drepanocytoses cases were also recorded.
Such patients constantly need tests and blood transfusion, she added.
Most of the cases are diagnosed based on the family’s medical history, due to lack of electrophoresis mechanism, Aloush pointed out.
Thalassemia patients need several kinds of medication, most notably hepatitis medicine and vaccinations for hepatectomy, among others. However, all of them are unavailable in the department, the head of the department stressed.
Aloush called for securing this medication and the required equipment to treat these cases and support the thalassemia department at the hospital as a whole.