5. A 21-year-old woman from a nearby village was brought to a hospital OPD by her husband, who was concerned that she had become increasingly weak over several months, and was unable to perform her usual home duties or to care for their young children. On examination, she was found to be tremulous, weak and very short of breath, with pale conjunctiva. She did not report any unusual gastrointestinal symptoms, and her usual diet was vegetarian. Her serum electrolytes were normal, and the results of her complete blood picture were as follows: Haemoglobin 6.2 g/dL (12.0–16.0 g/dL)
MCV 67 fL (80–100 fL)
MCHC 27 g/dL (33–37 g/dL)
WCC 3.3 x 103/ microL (4.5–10.5 x 103/microL)
Platelets 122 x 103/ microL (150–450 x 103/microL)

What do these findings suggest, and what possible underlying explanations should be considered? What action needs to be taken now?