KEM 1st govt hosp to get adult marrow transplant
Mumbai: Nearly a year after a proposal was first made by BMC, KEM Hospital received official approval to establish a bone marrow transplant (BMT) centre. This will be the first such facility at a public hospital in Mumbai to serve both adults and children.
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BMT is a procedure that replaces damaged or diseased bone marrow with healthy stem cells that can come from the patient (autologous transplant) or a donor (allogeneic transplant).
Hospital dean Dr Sangeeta Rawat inaugurated the site within the hospital premises where the new facility will be built. She said the centre will be funded through corporate social responsibility contributions, with treatment costs covered through a combination of donations and govt healthcare schemes.
Construction is slated to begin soon, but it will take a year for the four-bed facility to be functional. The only other BMT in the city that covers adults is at Tata Memorial Hospital; but it is only for cancer patients.
Dr Chandrakala S, who heads the haematology department at the hospital, said, "The need for BMT extends beyond cancer. It includes patients with aplastic anaemia, sickle cell disease, some autoimmune disorders, and even thalassemia major." She said most of such transplant centres are at private hospitals, and the costs can be upwards of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 12 lakh.
"We see so many adult patients who need BMT, but cannot avail it only because there is no affordable facility in the city," she added.
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