300 thalassemia cases recorded in Bardarash amid calls for dedicated center

DUHOK — Bardarash district in Duhok governorate has recorded the highest number of thalassemia cases among the Kurdistan region’s districts, according to the Diljin Blood Donation Organization. Despite continuous efforts to provide blood donations for local patients, the district still lacks a dedicated center for treating the disease.

Hiwa Muhammad Amin, head of the Diljin Blood Donation Organization, told 964media that the organization was founded three years. Since then, the organization has recorded 300 cases within Bardarash, based on the latest statistics.

“In Duhok governorate and Zakho administration, there are over 1,000 documented thalassemia cases, with 300 in Bardarash alone. No district in the region has as many documented cases as Bardarash,” he stated.

Muhammad Amin mentioned that he personally visited the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Minister of Health to request the establishment of a dedicated center for thalassemia in Bardarash. However, he added, “The center has not been established yet, and patients in Bardarash continue to seek treatment at the Akre center,” in nearby Akre district.

The organization conducts monthly blood donation campaigns in Peshmerga posts and government offices, collecting blood donations to meet the needs of thalassemia patients. The donated blood is delivered to blood banks in Duhok province for distribution to patients.

He had previously told 964media that in the three years since the organization was established, they have collected over 4,000 bottles of blood through their campaigns, which were then provided to blood banks for patient use.

Thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder, decreases the proportion of healthy red blood cells and reduces hemoglobin levels, the protein responsible for the red color of blood cells and the transport of oxygen throughout the body.