On February 9, Ajit Shende, a 16-year-old boy from a tribal-dominated region of Chandrapur district, was admitted to Ward No 20 of the Surgery Department at Government Medical College & Hospital, Nagpur, for treatment of a leg wound. Twenty days earlier, he had suffered a burn injury on his right leg due to a hot motorcycle silencer in an accident. The wound continued to bleed persistently. Based on his symptoms, doctors conducted a series of medical tests which revealed that the patient was suffering from Haemophilia B, a rare genetic bleeding disorder. In this condition, wounds fail to heal and continuous bleeding occurs. Such cases are extremely rare, affecting only one in a million individuals.

 

The team of doctors at Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), performed a complicated surgery and saved his life. Prior to arriving at GMCH, the patient had received treatment for three days at Sevagram Hospital, Wardha, and was then admitted at GMCH. The patient’s family immediately brought him to the hospital, where under the guidance of Dr Brijesh Gupta, Head of the Surgery Department, and Dr Pravin Bhingare’s team, the patient was admitted and emergency treatment was initiated. To save his life, an immediate amputation of the right leg was necessary. However, due to a deficiency of Factor IX (Factor IX deficiency, also known as Haemophilia C or Rosenthal syndrome, is a rare bleeding disorder where the body doesn’t produce enough factor IX, a blood clotting protein. This deficiency can lead to prolonged bleeding, especially after surgery or injury, but the symptoms are generally milder compared to other types of haemophilia) — the surgery was highly risky. Under the guidance of Dean Dr Raj Gajbhiye and Medical Superintendent Dr Avinash Gawande, immediate coordination was done with Dr Sanjay Deshmukh, In-charge of the Haemophilia Unit at Daga Hospital, and District Civil Surgeon Dr Nivrutti Rathod, to arrange the required Factor IX.

 

A total of 50 vials of blood were provided for the patient. Following expert advice from Dr Vishwadeep, a haematologist at AIIMS, the medical team at GMCH successfully performed the complex surgery and saved the patient’s life. Key members of the surgery team included Dr Pravin Bhingare, Dr Anup Wakodkar, Dr Pradeep Shivsaran, Dr Pankaj Tongse, Dr Mahima Advaitya, Dr Revati Pullavar, Dr Shivalila Hosangadi, Dr Siddhi Chhajed, Dr Pranali Patle, Dr Yuhesh Khanna, as well as pathologists Dr Shailendra Jambhulkar, Dr Manjiri Makde, Dr Tripti Lade, and Dr Sandeep Poratkar. Sister-in-charge Asha Modak, along with nursing staff Pratima Uike and Bhatar Sangode, took compassionate care of the patient.

 

Dr Raj Gajbhiye stated, “The administration did everything possible to save the young patient’s life. We are always committed to helping patients suffering from such rare conditions.” Dr Avinash Gawande expressed, “Hemophilia is a rare disease, and the combined efforts of District Civil Surgeon Dr Nivrutti Rathod, Dr Sanjay Deshmukh of Daga Hospital, and the doctors at GMC Nagpur helped ensure the patient’s life was saved through timely and effective treatment.” Dr Sanjay Deshmukh added, “Due to collective efforts and timely provision of Factor IX, we were able to save the patient’s life. The Daga Hemophilia Centre is a specialised facility where Factor 8, 9, 7, and FEEBA are provided free of cost for hemophilia patients.”