Mumbai: In a major relief for hemophilia patients in Maharashtra, the Directorate of Health Services has ordered 6,130 vials of Anti-Hemophilic Factor (AHF) worth Rs 4.49 crore. AHF is a vital protein required for blood clotting in individuals with hemophilia. For the past six months, a supply shortage had left patients in a life-threatening crisis.
Jigar Kotecha, Secretary of the Hemophilia Society (Mumbai Chapter), said that a purchase order for 6,130 vials was issued on July 30, 2025, by the Maharashtra Medical Goods Procurement Authority. Each vial is priced at Rs 7,339.50, bringing the total cost to Rs 4,49,91,135. The order has been placed by the Director of Health Services (DHS).
Due to the unavailability of AHF, government and civic-run hospitals across Maharashtra were unable to treat hemophilia patients, leading to a medical emergency. The Hemophilia Society had repeatedly raised concerns about the shortage.
“There has been no supply of factor medicines to any state-run hospital since September 2024. As a result, 30 patients from Mumbai, Pune, and Nagpur have already lost their lives due to lack of timely treatment,” Kotecha said.
Currently, over 1,200 hemophilia patients are registered in Mumbai alone. KEM Hospital — the only BMC-run facility offering treatment — has been out of stock for nearly 10 months, forcing patients to seek emergency care at Surat Civil Hospital in Gujarat.
Kotecha explained that these essential injections were earlier provided free of cost under the National Health Mission (NHM) by the central government. “Since September 2024, the supply stopped, citing that patients are being treated in civic-run hospitals,” he said.
He added that while the injections were previously fully subsidised, they are now either unavailable in the open market or sold at exorbitant prices. “There are five types of clotting factors based on the patient's condition. A single vial can cost between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh, which most families cannot afford,” he said.
According to the purchase order, the 6,130 vials will be distributed to 19 district hospitals across Maharashtra. District Hospital, Thane, will receive 803 vials, which will also serve patients from Mumbai.
What is Hemophilia?
Hemophilia is a rare genetic bleeding disorder in which blood fails to clot properly due to a deficiency in clotting factors. This can result in prolonged or spontaneous bleeding, both internally and externally, and can lead to serious complications if left untreated. The condition primarily affects males, while females may be carriers and occasionally experience mild symptoms.
