Pediatric bone marrow transplant unit established at ICH

A pediatric bone marrow transplant (BMT) unit was opened at the Institute of Child Health (ICH) and Children’s Hospital on Friday.

The unit will have five bone marrow transplant rooms and a dedicated operating room for bone marrow collection, according to a press release. Capable of 60 transplants per year. The unit is being funded by the National Health Mission and the state government at a cost of Rs 5,900 crore. It was created for curative bone marrow transplantation in children with hemoglobinopathies, including thalassemia and sickle cell anemia.

BMT is a curative treatment for many life-threatening and life-limiting diseases, including chemotherapy-resistant acute leukemia, aplastic anemia, inherited bone marrow failure syndromes, hemoglobinopathies, and primary immunodeficiency disorders.

Children undergoing bone marrow transplants are cared for in private rooms with separate HEPA-filtered air for one month. Bone marrow transplantation is an expensive surgery that costs between Rs 1.5 million and Rs 50 million in the private sector. The availability of this treatment in the government sector will ensure affordable treatment for children in need of blood disorders and cancer, the release said.

Equine Health Minister Subramanian inaugurated the facility. Health Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi was also present.