BMC-run Thalassemia centre in Mumbai to start bone marrow transplants for 15 child patients

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder, in which the body produces an abnormally low form of haemoglobin, which affects the oxygen supply to body tissues.

The thalassemia treatment centre at Borivli which is run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), will now offer bone marrow transplant – a permanent solution for the disease – to 15 children who are undergoing treatment at the clinic.

The thalassemia treatment centre at Borivli. (HT Photo)

Thalassemia is an inherited blood disorder, in which the body produces an abnormally low form of haemoglobin, which affects the oxygen supply to body tissues. In more severe forms of the disorder, blood transfusions are the main form of treatment.

Around 2,200 people are suffering from thalassemia in Mumbai and around 6,500 in the state.

“The centre is set up to offer a holistic treatment for blood disorders. We don’t want to say that our patients are ‘suffering’ from Thalassemia – rather, we would want to say they are ‘living’ with thalassemia,” said Vinay Shetty, Think Foundation.

Shetty said funds from charity trusts, private donors and the Chief Minister’s Fund will be used to finance the surgeries. “We won’t stress the parents to raise funds for the surgeries. We will work out the finances from our end. At the same time, patients’ families who have contacts and resources of individuals and companies who can help the centre financially can come forward to help,” said Shetty.

The 22-bedded day care transfusion centre of the hospital has registered 1,241 thalassemia patients, of which, 438 are new patients and 803 are follow-up patients, who were so long dependant on tertiary care facilities like KEM Hospital in Parel, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital in Sion and St George Hospitals in south Mumbai, for transfusion.

While bone marrow transplant is a permanent solution for the disease, the difficulty in finding a donor with the right blood match and the cost of surgery are major reasons why patients do not undergo the transplant. The surgery costs around Rs15lakh at private hospitals. Sion Hospital is the only public sector option available to patients but has only one bed reserved for the treatment.

“Currently the treatment is available only at Sion Hospital and Tata Memorial Hospital but from March we will start conducting bone marrow transplants at the Borivli unit,” said Manglani.

The hospital is also treating 187 haematology patients and 77 blood cancer patients. The hospital has six beds for blood cancer patients who are referred from Tata Memorial Hospital.