THE SOUTHERN Philippine Medical Center campaigns for hemophilia awareness for health information dissemination for the public.
During the Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM Ecoland on April 29, according to Dr. Jeannie B. Ong, SPMC Department of Pediatrics chairperson, Davao Region has recorded 233 patients diagnosed with hemophilia as of 2020. There are also 30 to 40 patients regularly visiting SPMC for treatment.
Ong explained that there are three possible problems for patients experiencing bleeding. The first is the platelets function, second is fragile blood vessels, and the third is clotting factors. Hemophilia occurs mostly in males with a 99% chance and can also be classified into mild or severe.
Unlike the Philippines, first-world countries can provide infusions twice a week covered by medical insurance. Ong advised patients to avoid contact sports to prevent bleeding in the muscles.
“So, these patients with hemophilia in the first world country, they can do basketball, they can do anything they want. But here in our country, ang pwede lang nilang gawin is mga mild activities,” she said.
According to Sheila Denawanao, her son Lucas, a 5-year-old boy diagnosed with hemophilia A, said that Lucas was diagnosed at a very young age. Factor VIII concentrate, the medicine used to treat Lucas, is also expensive (P6,000 per infusion) and not readily available in pharmacies.
“He was diagnosed when he was two years old, but six months pa lang nakitaan na namin siya ng ano [hemophilia]. So we’re very familiar with hemophilia na po,” Denawanao said.
Denawanao also added that her family has a history of the disease with her brother being the first to have hemophilia.
Hemophilia cases are common in Europe and have been described as the “Royal disease” since Queen Victoria of England. The Philippines has approximately 1,604 patients diagnosed with hemophilia according to the World Federation of Hemophilia’s report in 2020.
“It’s a rare disease but once you have the hemophilia, from birth hanggang pagtanda mo, nandiyan pa rin yung sakit. Walang endpoint sa ngayon,” Ong said.
