Maharashtra man suffered brain haemorrhage. Centre-allocated funds were available, yet he died

Forty-seven-year-old Rajan Ganpat Sankpal suffered a brain haemorrhage and seizures, resulting in his death due to a lack of timely access to anti-haemophilic Factor VIII. Sankpal, who lived with haemophilia A, passed away at the end of July after a CT scan revealed extensive bleeding inside his brain. His case highlights the ongoing challenges faced by nearly 5,500 haemophilia patients in Maharashtra to access life-saving clotting-factor medicines.

Despite the Centre's allocation of funds, patient groups express concerns over procurement delays at government hospitals. Haemophilia is a genetic disorder that impairs blood clotting, making immediate access to clotting-factor medicine crucial to prevent severe complications. The Maharashtra government has allocated a total of Rs 146 crore for haemophilia care this year, but procurement remains stuck, according to Jigar Kishore Kotecha, West Regional Council Chairman and Advocacy Head of the Hemophilia Federation of India, Maharashtra.

Dr Sunil Lohade, vice-president of the Hemophilia Society of Maharashtra, recounted a case where a six-year-old child had to travel 400 km to Pune for Factor VIII, as it was unavailable in their local hospitals. The government maintains that the issue is not due to a lack of funds, but rather the failure of districts to utilize the funds through existing mechanisms.

Dr Suhas Mohnalkar, Director of the State Blood Transfusion Council, explained the process by which funds are allocated and dispersed. The latest purchase guidelines were received recently, and the MMGPA CEO, Bapu Gopinathrao Pawar, confirmed that there is no procurement issue, stating that government agencies could procure Factor VIII at existing rates if they submitted a requirement.