DANG: Hemophilia patients in Tulsipur, Dang, are calling on the authorities to ensure local availability of critical medicines, especially the lifesaving injection known as Factor, which is essential to prevent life-threatening bleeding episodes.
Ram Bahadur Dahit of Tulsipur Sub-metropolitan City-7, along with three of his brothers, suffers from hemophilia, a rare genetic disorder that impairs the blood’s ability to clot.
“We have no option but to travel to Butwal or even Kathmandu to receive the necessary injection,” said Dahit. “There’s no access to this medicine here.”
Patients like Dahit must travel to Butwal at least once a week to obtain the Factor injection. Any delay could pose a severe health risk, as bleeding in hemophilia patients does not stop on its own.
“Sometimes, we can’t even make it to Butwal on time,” said Sher Bahadur Chaudhary, another hemophilia patient from Tulsipur. “The injection is not just rare—it’s essential.”
Though the Lumbini Province government provides the medicine free of cost, patients report that the supply chain is unreliable. Tulsipur alone has six registered hemophilia patients who regularly travel to Butwal or Bheri Hospital in Banke for treatment.
To ease the financial burden, the local government provides Rs 15,000 annually to each patient to help cover travel expenses. “This year, we provided that amount per patient,” said Tulsipur Mayor Tikaram Khadka.
Dr. Om P. Neupane, Head of the Public Health Promotion Division of the sub-metropolitan city, stressed that hemophilia has no complete cure. “These patients need to be extremely cautious, as even minor injuries can become life-threatening due to uncontrolled bleeding,” he explained.
Hemophilia is a hereditary condition caused by a deficiency in blood-clotting factors. Symptoms include unexplained bruising, joint pain, prolonged bleeding from minor cuts, blood in urine, and occasional nosebleeds.
While the government has taken steps to provide the medication, patients and advocates argue that decentralizing access and ensuring a reliable local supply chain are essential to saving lives and ensuring basic health rights.
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