Pahuja Trust for Blood Disorders was established in 2005 as a charitable trust for looking after thalassemics and hemophiliacs and for setting a center of excellence for hematology

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About Pahuja Trust

Pahuja Trust for Blood Disorders

Pahuja Trust for Blood Disorders was established in 2005 as a charitable trust for looking after thalassemics and hemophiliacs and for setting a center of excellence for hematology. The main objectives of the Trust were:

To provide state of art facilities for Thalassemia & Hemophilia children in Faridabad at highly subsidized cost.
To develop the facilities for diagnosis and treatment of various blood disorders.
To initiate Thalassemia Screening & Control Programme specifically in Faridabad & Gurgaon Districts.
To initiate stem cell therapy as a long term goal.

The Trust set up its first Center at Sunflag Hospital, Faridabad in December 2005 that became functional by January 2006. Besides free consultations to the thalassemics, the following services were provided to the thalassemics in conjunction with Sunflag Hospital :-

Blood transfusion @Rs. 350 per transfusion irrespective of number of units.
Chelation therapy medicines @50-60% discount.
Source of red pack cells: normally Rotary Blood Bank, Delhi and sponsored by Rotarians of Faridabad. In rare cases, Sunflag Hospital @ 500 per unit (not Nac tested)
Free Serum Feretine tests through National Thalassemia Welfare Society but paid for by the Trust.
20% discount on diagnostic testing and in-patient charges. (related to thalassemia)
Hematologist provided by the Trust but sharing revenue with the hospital for other than thalassemics.
Thalassemia prevention programme in conjunction with Sunflag Hospital..

The Trust acquired its own Blood leukoreduction equipment to provide filtered blood to the thalassemics.

Thalassemics were provided CBC testing with the acquisition of the counter by the Trust. During the first five years, the Trust launched an intensive campaign to educate the general population as well as medical fraternity about thalassemia, its management and its prevention. This campaign covered educational institutions, industrial complexes and some social organisations within Faridabad and Palwal.

The Trust also launched a campaign to identify thalassemia carriers

A little more than 10,000 persons were tested in and around Faridabad and Gurgaon. It was found that against a national average of 3-4% population being thalassemia carrier, the incidence in both these towns was 18%. The number of thalassemics in Faridabad was found to be nearly 200 – the numbers well above the national average once again. Thalassemia prevention and education programme has produced good results as the general public is well aware of this genetic disorder. Other NGOs have now taken up similar programme.

As far as hemophiliacs are concerned, the Trust provided free consultation

It also administered Factor 7 and Factor 8 whenever so required – Factor 7 and 8 were provided by the local hemophiliac society. With the State Government making the treatment of hemophilia free at government hospitals, this facility was discontinued in 2011.

The Trust set up its second center at Paras Hospital, Gurgaon in 2010.

Similar facilities as in Sunflag Hospital, Faridabad were provided. The Centre continued at Gurgaon for five years but had to discontinue because of the non-availability of qualified haematologists.

Sunflag Hospital closed in 2015 due to financial issues that interrupted the Trust's activities.

From 2016, the Trust’s Center operated at Fortis Escort Hospital, Faridabad till May 2023. The following facilities were being provided to 55 thalassemic by the Trust and Fortis Escort Hospital:

Free consultation and regular checkups.
Free blood transfusion.
Free Nac-tested blood for those patients who had developed antibodies due to frequent transfusions.
Chelating medicines and filters at nominal prices. Where required, even this amount is waived off.

Since May 2003, the Trust has established a Center of Excellence at Rotary Blood Bank

Faridabad in collaboration with Sankalp Foundation and Rotary Blood Bank, Faridabad. This Centre is intended for every possible need of the thalassemic including diagnosis, blood transfusions, various blood and other tests including ultrasound, cardiac echo and T2*MRI (to ascertain precisely the iron overload status in the heart and liver) and provides chelation and other required medicines free of cost. In addition, a monthly clinic is held wherein patients interact with the haematologist. There are 115 thalassemic being looked after by the Trust. In addition, the progress of every thalassemic is monitored by the Sankalp Foundation.

Since 2018, the Trust has signed an MOU with Christian Medical College & Hospital,

Ludhiana to subsidize their bone marrow transplant for the thalassemics. A sum of Rs. 2 lacs per patient is provided by the Trust for this purpose. A similar MOU has been signed with the Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre. Over 50 lacs rupees have been spent as a subsidy for bone marrow transplants for the thalassemic till 31 January 2024.

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