Without adequate and timely treatment, hemophiliacs can face the risk of a serious, life-threatening condition. Hemorrhages in these patients can occur at any time, even after minor injuries. Irina Mocanu, hematologist at the Oncological Institute, spoke about this during an event dedicated to World Hemophilia Day. The purpose of the event is to increase public awareness of the problems faced by both adults and especially children in Moldova who suffer from this serious, genetically inherited coagulation disorder.
Hemophilia is a rare disease in which blood does not clot normally because it lacks certain proteins, called clotting factors, which participate in the clotting process. Treatment involves regular administration of the specific clotting factor that is in deficit.
All preparations for hemophilia patients are administered intravenously, from an early age. Sometimes the preparations are administered twice a day, in courses of 7, 10, 14 days. It is painful for the patient. Today, medicine has made a huge leap in attempts to treat hemophilia, including the emergence of new methods of injecting preparations, including subcutaneously. It is not available in Moldova for the time being.
Adult patients with hemophilia are treated at the Oncological Institute, in the Hematology Department, and children at the Mother and Child Institute. Rita Rotari, pediatrician, mentioned that young patients are given substitution treatment and rehabilitation treatment, for a better quality of life. They include physiotherapy procedures, magnetotherapy, laser therapy, electrostimulation, and physical therapy, as their joints are also affected. Children with hemophilia cannot administer their treatment at home, and frequent visits to the Mother and Child Institute can create difficulties for them.
Alexandra Jechiu, from Ungheni, has a seven-year-old child with hemophilia in foster care. The woman says that their lives would be much easier if they could administer the coagulation factor at home.
Galina Fedotova, the mother of two boys with hemophilia, says that they have to come to the Mother and Child Institute every time the children bleed. It can happen once or twice a month. If they could administer their prophylactic treatment at home, they would have more freedom of action and more time for play and educational activities.
In Moldova, there are 54 children with hemophilia.
