Nadira Gunatilleke
Around 100 thalassemia children are born in Sri Lanka annually and the Government annually spends Rs. 10 million on one thalassemia patient, Non Communicable Diseases Unit Director Dr. Thilak Siriwardana said.
He was addressing a press conference held at the Health Promotion Bureau (HPB) in Colombo yesterday. Dr. Siriwardana said the country reportedly has about 2,000 thalassemia patients. Some of them could be cured by transplanting bone marrow. One such operation costs the Government Rs.15 million. The disease has affected the most the North Western (Wayamba), North Central, Central and Uva Provinces. Therefore, couples who expect to get married must undergo the test for thalassemia gene, he said.
HPB Director Dr. Paba Palihawadana said an abnormal gene of parents and children causes thalassemia. Thalassemia patients need medical treatment and blood transfusion for the rest of their lives. About four percent of the Sri Lankan population have the abnormal gene in them, she said.
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