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ATARAM: Haikal Syafi’i, a 3-year-old with hemophilia, has been receiving ongoing treatment in a hospital for severe bleeding after undergoing a circumcision.

Haikal from Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), was taken to the Gerung Hospital in Lombok Barat after a mass circumcision event last month. He continued to suffer constant bleeding so his parents took him to the Bhayangkara Hospital in Mataram, NTB.

“After receiving treatment in those two hospitals, his bleeding continued; so, he was taken to the NTB General Hospital [RSUP] on Monday. We found that Haikal was suffering from hemophilia, a disorder in the blood-clotting process,” the hospital’s Lalu Ahmadijaya said on Thursday.

Hemophilia is a genetic disorder that affects mainly boys, and is famously prevalent in the royal families of Europe.

“This should be a lesson to people to have their sons’ health checked before being circumcised,” said Ahmadijaya.

Speaking to The Jakarta Post, Haikal’s mother, Sanemah, said that her son had been circumcised at a mass event along with seven other boys from their kampung on Jan. 27, to commemorate the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday.

“After being circumcised, he seemed fine. But four days after the procedure, he began bleeding from his circumcision wound,” she said.

“Hemophilia treatment can be costly. Koate, for example, costs around Rp 10 million [US$1,030] per injection and Haikal needs three injections to stop his bleeding,” Ahmadijaya said, adding that Haikal’s treatment would be covered by the government-funded health scheme, Jamkesmas.