TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Davanagere: HEMOPHILIA CENTER IN DAVANAGERE SAVED THE LIFE OF A POOR BAGALKOT BOY :

It was Manohar (21), a final year BA student of SRN Arts College in Bagalkot, got his rebirth from the
treatment given by the Karnataka Hemophilia Society (KHS), Davanagere. The boy basically hails from a
poor family of Hiregulubal village and he never knew that he is a patient of ‘hemophilia’, a genetically
related blood disorder.

All of a sudden, his left arm was swollen no sooner he was thrashed by a huge mob when he was
travelling in a train nearby his home town a month ago. After noticing the swelling, a doctor at a private
hospital in Bagalkot performed a surgery without knowing that Manohar is a hemophilic patient. Even
after the surgery was completed and stitches were put, the bleeding could not be stopped. Then he was
referred to KLE hospital in Belgaum where they have detected that the boy is a hemophilic. Again,
Manohar and his mother rushed to KHS, Davanagere on the advise of the KLE doctors, as he was badly
needed by the ‘factor VIII’, a hemophilic drug.

It was November 8, Manohar was brought to the KHS in Davanagere in a dangerous condition,
according to Dr Suresh Hanagawadi, president of the KHS. Only after administering 18,000 units of
factor VIII, Manohar could recover and the bleeding could stopped totally, Hanagawadi said. Even if the
‘factor VIII’ is supplied at the subsided cost, it could have costed Rs 1.8 lakh for Manohar. But, all was
done at free of cost, Dr Hanagawadi said.
It was because of Lauren Kelly, a mother of two hemophiliacs from USA, a great donor to the KHS and
upon her consent the required ‘factor VIII’ was administered to Manohar, Dr Hanagawadi said.

A team of doctors including Dr Krithi, Dr Sunil Byadagi, plastic surgeon, along with Srikanth, Anju and
Roopa, a group of nursing staff, besides physiotherapist Asha Doddikoppad have worked round the
clock, to save the life of Manohar, Dr Hanagawadi recalled.

NEED FOR HOLDING SCREENING TEST BEFORE SURGERY: It is very essential to conduct a screening test
for the patient before performing a surgery whether he or she suffering from any blood disorders like
hemophilia, Dr Hanagawadi stressed. There is less awareness among the doctors and other medical
fraternity about hemophilia, Dr Hanagawadi contented.

HEMOPHILIA FACTORS MUST BE AVAILABLE AT ALL GOVT HOSPITALS:

There is a need to keep the stock of hemophilia factor drugs at all the government district hospitals as
life saving drugs by the government, Dr Hanagawadi stressed. Both the center and state governments
should help the poor hemophiliacs as the drugs are not affordable by ordinary people, Hanagawadi
observed.

(PHOTOS OF ARM OF MANOHAR BEFORE AND AFTER SURGERY WILL BE SENT LATER).