Odisha doctor turns messiah for sickle cell patients

Koraput: Ratikanta Khatua, a medical officer at Odisha’s Koraput blood bank, has emerged as a messiah for countless hapless patients suffering from sickle cell, a disease caused by a group of blood disorders.

A missionary at heart, Dr Khatua works beyond his official duty hours and reaches out to patients to provide all possible treatments to them, sometimes even meeting their expenses from his own pocket.

A professional for over 13 years now, the doctor was shocked when he found that Koraput, a hilly forested region with a dominant tribal population, recorded a huge number of sickle cell patients. He realised that many of the afflicted persons would die due to lack of timely medical intervention.

He knew the only way to reach out to the afflicted persons was to bring them under institutional treatment procedures and it needed a specialised sickle cell unit at the district headquarters for early and proper detection of the disease.

With his persistent efforts, a special sickle cell unit was established at Koraput on August 15, 2016. More than 600 patients, mostly from poor financial background hailing from rural parts of the district, have now been registered with the unit.

Establishment of the unit and enrolment of patients there has led to periodic treatment of patients and making them avail required blood units free of cost, besides medical kits. Patients are now given '500 transportation allowance to travel to the sickle cell unit.

Dr Khatua takes extra interest in creating awareness about sickle cell and thalassaemia among the tribals, most of whom stay on hilly tracts and forest areas.

The doctor appreciates the role of district collector V. Jayakumar and former minister Pranab Prakash Das for extending him all kinds of cooperation for making provisions for the patients.

Knowing that treatment of sickle cell and thalassaemia patients need regular blood transfusion, Dr Khatua has started blood donation campaign in the area. His efforts have seen an increase in the collection of blood units. The blood donation campaign started in 2015, which saw a collection of 3,800 units. The number increased to a whopping 9,006 units in 2018.

In 2016 and 2017, Koraput blood bank won award from chief minister Naveen Patnaik for its commendable services.

Dr Khatua has himself won many accolades, including state government awards, for his outstanding services.