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New Delhi, September 18, 2020:
On the occasion of World Marrow Donors’ Day, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in association with Datri has launched an upgraded Centre for Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy in its premises. A bone marrow transplant is a clinical procedure that replaces an unhealthy bone marrow with the healthy cells. It is administered to the patients suffering from certain types of blood disorders, such as leukemia, myeloma, lymphoma, transfusion dependent thalassemia, sickle cell disease and other serious blood related immune system disorders. As patients suffering from either of these diseases are immunocompromised, the pandemic had a huge impact on their timely treatment.
Considering the same, the new state of art Centre has been strategically conceptualized to manage required long stay of such patients in the hospital. Similarly, the BMT follow up OPD has been set up close to the Centre for being able to prevent these immunocompromised patients from mixing with other patients and reducing their risk of catching the secondary infections. This state of art conceptualization behind forming this centre, makes it one of the most advanced and patient friendly BMT centers’ across North India. To commemorate the Marrow Donors’ Day further, Apollo in association with Datri hosted a survivor’s meet with their donor’s today. As finding a genetically matched donor is a gift of life, this meet indeed presented a great opportunity to inspire millions of other patients in need of a bone marrow transplant and also millions of voluntary donors who can give a gift of life.
Dr Gaurav Kharya, Clinical Lead at Centre for BMT & CT, Senior Consultant, Paediatric Haematology, Oncology and Immunology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, New Delhi said, “Since a long time, patients from not only across the country but from all over the world were coming to Indraprastha Apollo hospitals to get treated for various life limiting or life threatening diseases related to blood. The common symptoms of these patients included anemia, fever, persistent jaundice, very low levels of energy, frequent blood transfusions, bleeding manifestations, increased risk of infections and pain to name a few. The only curative treatment for majority of these disorders is by offering a Bone Marrow Transplant. For any patient to undergo a BMT, preferably a 10/10 HLA matched donor is required, which sometimes can be siblings, rarely parents or an unrelated donor.
With reference to the same, was the case of three children in which two were siblings. These patients came reporting the similar signs and symptoms and were unable to undergo their daily routine activities. The siblings amongst them were suffering from Thalassemia major. After multiple transfusions, their condition wasn’t stabilizing. At last, finding an unrelated donor (a 10/10 match not from the immediate family) was the only solution left. We approached DATRI and requested them for some help to which they agreed and provided the matching donor who was ready to lend an immediate support. Post finding their matching donors, these kids underwent an uneventful BMT procedure and are now doing clinically well post the transplant procedure. Another young girl from Bhopal, who was suffering a lot due to sickle cell disease, unfortunately did not find any HLA identical donor in the family. Here, DATRI came as a rescue by providing a voluntary donor subsequent to which she underwent a successful BMT and is now living a healthy pain free life, looking forward to a bright future.”
Announcing the launch, Ms. Sumati Misra, Head – Counseling & Transplant Centre Management, DATRI said, “While we celebrate WMDD and the lives gifted, we need to also think about the patients still waiting for a match. Even though we have 4.6 lakh registered donors in a country like India, we are less than 1% of the population. Each of us needs to help spread the awareness and counsel, and support matched donors. Days like today are a celebration as a survivor meets their donor. There are miles to go and many mountains to climb. DATRI’s mission is to give each patient a 2nd chance at life. Ethnicity matters, so each new donor registered is a ray of hope for patients on the waiting list.”
Many people around the nation are in dire need of a bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy. But because of not finding a matching donor in time, transplants can’t get administered timely. Therefore, to support Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in this initiative DATRI, India’s largest blood stem registry has come together.
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