Mumbai: BMC's Bone Marrow Transplant Centre records 300 successful transplants

Mumbai: As many as 300 children underwent bone marrow transplants in the last six years at Mumbai Municipal Corporation's Comprehensive Thalassemia Care, Pediatric Blood Defects, Cancer and Bone Marrow Transplant Treatment Center at Borivali East. This has made life easier for many children. Bone Marrow Transplant Center (BMT) has seen an increase in the number of surgeries performed every year since its inception.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) started a treatment centre at Borivali in 2017 with the aim of enabling children suffering from thalassemia, anaemia and cancer to live like normal children. Bone marrow transplant facility was made available in this centre from June 2018. As many as 300 bone marrow transplant surgeries were performed in this centre from June 2018 to July 26, 2023. In 2018, only 13 transplants were done, while in 2022, the number went up to 72. In 2023, up to July 40 patients were transplanted, according to information from the authorities. Right to information activist Chetan Kothari obtained this information from the civic body via Right to Information. A bone marrow transplant costs between INR 25 to INR 40 lakh in a private hospital. However, this facility is free in the BMT treatment centre of the Municipal Corporation.

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What is a Bone Marrow Transplant?

Thalassemia patients do not produce enough blood in their bodies due to defective red cells. So they have to regularly take blood from a compatible donor and give red cells. However, after a successful bone marrow transplant in such patients, their body begins to produce blood with the required amount of cells. Therefore, after a successful bone marrow transplant, these patients do not require blood transfusion. Bone marrow transplantation in thalassemia is usually performed in children up to 8 years of age with good results.

“This centre continuously adopts modern technology to provide maximum quality medical treatment to the citizens. After a successful bone marrow transplant, the body of these children begins to produce the required amount of red blood cells”, said Dr. Mamta Mangalani, Director, BMT Centre.