A four-member medical team from Tanzania recently visited Bangalore to gain insights into setting up and managing Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) units. The team included two nurses and a doctor, along with a leader involved in the BMT project at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC).
The team spent 15 days at the BMJH unit, where they learned about key aspects of BMT operations, including the setup of BMT rooms with split air conditioning, layout preferences, and transplant protocols under PMRD (Partially Matched Related Donors) and MRD (Matched Related Donors). They also discussed best nursing practices, patient and donor selection, and post-transplant care.
This visit is part of a broader mission, in collaboration with Cure2Children Foundation, Italy, and DKMS, Germany, to reach out to as many children as possible with life-saving cures. We are proud to contribute, in our own small way, to working towards a cure option for every child in need.
The Tanzanian team is preparing to start their own BMT infrastructure, beginning with a gradual and thoughtful approach. One of the key takeaways from the visit was that high-quality care can be achieved in a cost-conscious manner—highlighting that effective management and a patient-first approach are essential, even with limited resources.
Additionally, such visits and exchanges are helping to build a network of like-minded, patient-centric centers, which will work together toward our larger goal. The Tanzanian team was also encouraged to create their own Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) based on their unique needs, taking inspiration from the practices they observed in Bangalore.