Patna: City resident Mohammad Ezaz Ahmad lost his 16-year-old son, Zeya Ahmed, to thalassemia - a disorder in which the body produces an abnormal form of haemoglobin - on February 28. But when Zeya was alive, managing blood for him was a humiliating affair as the city blood banks kept on making him run from pillar to post, Ezaz maintains.

Ezaz's loss is irreplaceable, but a new notification by the state health department means that others like him will not have to undergo the same trauma. Thalassemia and haemophilia - another disorder that impairs the body's ability to make blood clot - patients have to be provided blood without any replacement donor and they also have to be given free blood transfusion without any processing fee in lieu of the blood transfusion, according to the department notification issued on Wednesday.

The notification also says that thalassemia patients cannot be provided blood that is more than seven days old.

Before the notification, it was common for private blood to ask for replacement blood donors from thalassemia and haemophilia patients and also charge them processing fees. Many instances of old blood being provided to thalassemia patients by both government and private blood banks have been reported, said activists working for the welfare of the blood disorder patients.

"The government facilities were not charging processing fee but private ones were charging between Rs 500 and Rs 600 and also asking for replacement donors," said social activist Mukesh Hissariya. "Many instances of expired blood being transfused to thalassemia patients by government and private blood banks have also been reported. The government's decision would be a boon for such patients if this is implemented well."

According to Hissariya, there are at least 2,000 thalassemia patients in the state. Hissariya, whose organisation arranges blood for 25 such persons, said relatives of patients suffering from blood disorders suffered badly.

Ezaz agreed: "Life had become hell for us."