Bengaluru hospital conducts free, subsidised BMT, saves 50 thalassemic children

BENGALURU: A city-based hospital, working along with two non-profit organisations towards curing all Thalassemia-afflicted children in the country, achieved a milestone on Sunday by saving lives of 50 children suffering from Thalassemia over a period of just two years. Under its initiative with Sankalp India Foundation and Cure2Children of People Tree Hospitals saved the lives of 50 children through successful bone marrow transplants (BMT), done either at free or a minimum cost.

Dr Supraja Chandrashekar, lead paediatrician at People Tree Hospitals, said, "Thalassemia is a disease that requires a child to take blood transfusion almost every month. Sadly, this repeated blood blood transfusion results in several complications, besides putting the child at risk of contracting other deadly infections.

“Bone marrow transplant is a miraculous solution where in a bone marrow either from a matched sibling or a parent is given to the child and the patient does not require any further transfusion and gets cured," she said.

Stating that successful bone marrow transplant rates are low in the country due to lack of adequate awareness, she added, “A lot of effort goes into educating public, running blood donation programmes as well as preparing these children in the most optimal way for receiving the transplant. These are done in the day care centres of the NGO. Once the kids are ready for transplant, they come to our hospital and get the transplant done at free of cost or at a subsidised cost.”