Maharashtra: Factor Injection Shortage Puts Hemophilia Patients At Risk; 30 Deaths Reported Since September 2024

Mumbai: Hemophilia patients in Maharashtra are facing a life-threatening crisis as life-saving injections remain unavailable across all government and civic-run hospitals. The Hemophilia Society, Mumbai Chapter, has raised serious concerns over the non-availability of Anti-Hemophilic Factor (AHF) — a critical protein required for blood clotting in hemophilia patients.

“There has been no supply of factor medicines to any state-run hospital since September 2024. As a result, 30 patients from Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur have lost their lives due to lack of timely treatment,” said Jigar Kotecha, Honorary Secretary of the Society.

Kotecha noted that although there were some positive signals from the state government, repeated appeals to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have gone unanswered. “Despite sending letters, emails, and seeking appointments, there has been no response from the BMC administration,” he said.

Currently, there are over 1,200 registered hemophilia patients in Mumbai. KEM Hospital — the only BMC-run facility offering treatment for hemophilia — has been out of stock of the necessary factor injections for nearly 10 months. As a result, patients are now being referred to Surat Civil Hospital in Gujarat for emergency care.

“The necessary injections were earlier provided free of cost under the National Health Mission (NHM) by the central government. But since September 2024, the supply has stopped, citing that the patients are being treated in civic-run hospitals,” Kotecha explained.

He further added that these injections, which were fully subsidised earlier, are now either unavailable in the open market or sold at unaffordable prices. “There are five different types of factors depending on a patient’s condition. A single vial costs between ₹50,000 and ₹1 lakh. Most families simply cannot afford it,” he said.

With no immediate relief in sight, the Hemophilia Society has warned of peaceful protests. “If this situation continues, we will be forced to hold silent demonstrations outside the Mantralaya, Health Bhavan, and BMC headquarters during the ongoing Assembly session,” Kotecha said.

The society has appealed to the authorities to intervene urgently and restore the supply of factor injections before more lives are lost.

What is Hemophilia?

Hemophilia is a rare genetic bleeding disorder in which blood fails to clot properly due to a deficiency in clotting factors. This can result in prolonged or spontaneous bleeding, both internally and externally, and can lead to serious complications if left untreated. The condition primarily affects males, while females may be carriers and occasionally experience mild symptoms.

Published on: Saturday, July 12, 2025, 07:52 PM IST