Thalassemia patients at govt hospitals reel under shortage of life-saving drug

WHILE PATIENTS LOOK FOR VIALS OF DEFEROXAMINE, HOSPITALS INSIST THEY HAVE ORAL IRON CHELATORS IN STOCK AND ARE PROVIDING THEM TO PATIENTS

- Ridhima Gupta

NEW DELHI: Patients in Delhi's government hospitals are spiraling into panic as the supply of a life-saving injection for thalassemia patients, deferoxamine—under the brand name Desferal—becomes increasingly scarce.

For thalassemia patients, whose lives depend on regular doses to counter deadly iron overload caused by transfusions, the shortage has brought desperation. While the supply of Desferal has always been erratic, the past month has seen acute crisis.

Among the struggling patients are brothers Chandan and Bharat Juneja from Patel Nagar—both unemployed due to their medical condition—who have been receiving treatment at Ram Manohar Lohia (RML) Hospital for years.