A Bahraini man has become the 14th person to die of complications from sickle cell anaemia this year.

Ali Isa Al Haddad died yesterday morning in India, where he was sent by the Health Ministry for treatment, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

Al Haddad worked as a media specialist at the ministry. He is survived by his wife and three daughters.

This brings the total number of deaths so far this year to 14, according to the Bahrain Society for Sickle Cell Anaemia Patient Care.

However, the figures have drastically reduced compared to last year when 30 deaths were recorded in the first seven months alone.

Society representative Manahil Mansoor attributed the decline to improvements in health care and the Hereditary Blood Disorder Centre that opened last year at Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC).

“I was so sad to hear the news because I was hoping that July will pass with no deaths at all,” Mansoor told the GDN.

“April and June saw no deaths and the total number of victims so far this year is 14.

“This is a marked improvement compared to last year which recorded 30 deaths in the first seven months.

“I would say that the decline can be put down to the intensive medical care that patients receive at the centre in SMC.”

Mansoor said the number of fatalities could be further reduced by allocating separate wards at the centre for female sickle cell patients, who refuse to be admitted due to lack of privacy.

“Female patients also have the right to get the same intensive care but no-one goes there because there is no separate wards for them,” she explained.

The GDN earlier reported that a day care unit to treat patients suffering from the disease around the clock has opened, but is only for adult men.

Women and children continue to receive treatment at the Accident and Emergency department of the hospital until further notice.

According to statistics, a total of 46 sickle cell patients died last year, 33 in 2013 and 47 in 2012. - TradeArabia News Service