Patients suffering from haemophilia disease from the Central Region can now breath a sigh of relief after a clinical centre was set up in Murang’a to offer treatment.
The centre established by haemophilia Foundation in Murang’a Level-5 hospital will help in treating the disease which is common among young boys.
In the past, patients suffering from the ailment have been forced to seek treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital or private centres.
The centre will be getting drugs from donors as they are expensive for the common mwanachi to afford.
Officer in charge of the centre Ms Jane Mugacha on Wednesday told KNA that the centre which was established in November this year will go long way in helping patients as majority have been unable to access treatment for haemophilia.
In the central region, Mugacha said the disease has been killing boys at tender age due to lack of treatment.
She said a full dosage for the haeomphilia disease goes for Sh. 500, 000, amount which is too high for low earners.
Haemophilia disease, the officer explained, causes patients to bleed uncontrollably when they get cuts and swell when they suffer physical trauma due to internal bleeding.
She added the disease usually affects young boys saying if not well treated; a patient cannot live for more than 20 years.
“This centre will be the fourth one in the country after one in Nairobi, Eldoret and Mombasa,” she noted saying medicine for the diseases is hard to get them in public hospitals.
Mugacha who is also head of pediatric department of the hospital further highlighted that the disease affects men as women exposed to it remain carriers.
“Women who are carriers experience heavy menses and have the clotting factor administered before childbirth to avoid over bleeding.
“The disease is quite dangerous as when it comes to internal bleeding it’s quite difficult to be detected easily occasioning death of a patient,” added the medic.
The disease she noted can be contracted through family genes but in rare cases.
“The chromosomes that are responsible for genes mutate randomly and cause the disease,” she further remarked.
The medic explained that haemophilia disease can only be managed through injecting blood clotting factors in veins.
She said parents with children suffering from the disease are advised to protect them from injuries.
Haemophilia Foundation she said is working on a bill to be presented in parliament seeking financial support towards treatment of the disease.
“The foundation is lobbying the government to give financial support to enable access of more clotting factors for injecting patients on daily basis as one can get hurt while attending his daily activities,” Mugacha said.
By Bernard Munyao
