Bone marrow transplant unit opens at MY Hospital

For the first time in Madhya Pradesh, a bone-marrow transplant unit has been set up at MY Hospital Indore. At present, the transplant of children with Thalassemia will be conducted. later this facility will be made available to children suffering from Sickle Cell Anaemia and leukamia. Children under the age of 12 years will be given priority for transplant.

Camps were organised at Indore, Bhopal and Gwalior for registration of patients in December 2017. So far 150 thalassemia patients in State have been registered for the transplant.

Thalassemia is a genetic disorder under which newborns need blood transfusion every month following lack of haemoglobin. The process of blood transfusion every month is very painful. After bone marrow transplant, there is no need for blood transfusion every month and children start leading a better life.

Bone-marrow transplant unit is operating in the fourth storey of MY Hospital which is affiliated to the Government Medical College Indore. The total cost of the project is Rs 5 crore which includes Rs 3.50 crore expense on construction work ad Rs 1.50 crore spent on equipments. Assistant Professor of Columbia University (USA) Dr Prakash Satvani is providing guidance for the setting up of the unit. Currently two doctors of MY Hospital Indore are undergoing training at Columbia University. Two other doctors of the Child Care Department are being sent to the University for six-months training, the expenses of which are being borne by the state government.

Approval for setting up the bone marrow transplant centre has been obtained from Dr Prakash Satwani, Colombo, University New York (USA), Dr lawrence Faulkner, bone marrow transplant expert, Italy, Medical Coordinator, Cure 2 Children Foundation, Italy and Sankalp India Foundation, Bangalore.

An MoU was signed with Sankalp India Foundation, Bengaluru working in the field of bone marrow transplant. Under this MoU, training will be given to doctors, pediatric surgeon, anesthetist, administrative officer, nursing, technician and pharmacist staff in bone marrow transplant in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad.