In the wake of demonetisation, the Health Ministry today asked states to take steps to operationalise digital payment facilities in government hospitals for patients' convenience.
The Ministry in an advisory issued by joint secretary Manoj Jhalani said it is important that the government health facilities are fully geared up to receive user charges in a digital manner including through mobile transations.
"Post demonetisation, it is important that our health facilities are fully geared to receive fees and user charges in a digital manner including through mobile transactions.
"You are therefore, requested to all necessary steps to operationalise such facilities of receiving digital payments in our hospitals at the earliest so that the patients are not inconvenienced," he said in the advisory.
The advisory was sent to all the state additional chief secretaries and principal secretaries of Health.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a month back announced demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes making these notes invalid in a major assault on black money, fake currency and corruption.
The Health Ministry sources said the advisory issued today is for all the government hospitals in the states.
The government has been laying stress on digital and cashless mode of transactions.
"Abortion or preterm birth was one of the major risks that
would have affected the pregnancy.
Further, as she is anemic there was a possibility of pre-eclampsia, which is an increase in the blood pressure during pregnancy. The repeated blood transfusions that the patient underwent had a chance of her facing intrauterine growth restriction, which could have slowed down the growth of the baby. However, she was normal and didn't suffer from any of it," confirmed Dr. Kiranmayi.
"Mumtaj was well-informed and prepared. She had tremendous support from her family and that made the process very easy," she added.
This is a rare instance in Thalassemia patients who have not had a BMT and continued with only regular blood transfusion. This being a rare occurrence, Mumtaj wanted to spread the word to other such Thalassemia patients giving them hope to survive and lead a normal life.
"Initially, I faced a lot of pessimism from everyone. My own family doctor was very worried and apprehensive about me continuing with the pregnancy. That's when I met Dr. Sharat Damodar.
His and Dr. Kiranmayi's team instilled confidence in me and rendered unstinted support throughout my pregnancy. They were always accessible. As I reside 150 kilometers away from Narayana Health, my queries were at times over the phone, they were always willing to address my concerns. I'm grateful as I was never put through any extra strain or numerous scans and I delivered with ease. My son is healthy and nine months old now. I feel blessed to be enjoying motherhood like any other normal woman," said Mumtaj while sharing her experience.
"On the occasion of World Thalassemia Day, I take the opportunity to also give other women who suffer from Thalassemia the confidence that with regular medication, will power and support from doctors, they can also become a mother," she said.
Challenges:
Because of Thalassemia the patient has low hemoglobin, which has to be supplemented with blood transfusion. Whenever there is low hemoglobin it can potentially compromise the oxygen supply to the child. "We go on to a hyper-transfusion in such cases, which is to have transfusion more frequently or more units to keep the hemoglobin above 10, which is what we have done to ensure the child's growth is not compromised," informed Dr. Sharat Damodar. "Secondly, sometimes because of the very high iron status, if you either have liver dysfunction or a cardiac dysfunction, then that can potentially cause an abortion and that's a little worry that we had. We constantly kept monitoring the iron store and ensured the heart status was fine because it changes the blood volume during pregnancy.
These are some of the primary issues that we considered during her course of treatment at Narayana Health City," he said. The primary aspect was to take her through the pregnancy, maintaining her hemoglobin and keeping a follow-up on general well-being, her liver function test and cardiac status.
The good news is that since her husband is normal and doesn't suffer from Thalassemia, the baby would be Thalassemia minor since it is a genetic disease and doesn't have the problem that the mother has. The child didn't need any additional tests as he was Thalassemia minor after confirming that the father of the child was healthy.
According to reliable sources at Narayana Health City, she certainly is the first and only Thalassemia patient in South India to give birth at the age of 30 and probably the first in India too.
She is also the oldest patient of Thalassemia coming for blood transfusion in Bengaluru. Mumtaj is on regular follow-up at Narayana Health City to check her cardiac status and for regular blood transfusion.
