Medical Education Minister Vishwas Kailash Sarang informed that a stem cell therapy based bone marrow transplant and pediatric cancer unit is being established in the state. In Madhya Pradesh, this facility will be started in four medical colleges Bhopal, Jabalpur, Gwalior and Rewa. It will be developed in about 6 months.
While talking to media persons here on Friday, Sarang said that medical services in the state are being constantly expanded under the leadership of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. In this sequence, arrangements are being made for the treatment of blood cancer, an incurable disease. A bone marrow transplant unit will be established in the state for the treatment of genetic diseases of children like sickle cell anemia, aplastic anemia, thalassemia and cancer leukemia, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
In the first phase, a 6 bedded bone marrow transplant unit and 24 bedded pediatric cancer unit will be established in Gandhi Medical College. World-class medical facilities will be made available through this unit. In this, self (autologous) stem cell grafting and other person’s (allogeneic) bone marrow will be transplanted.
The Minister informed that due to genetic diseases like sickle cell anemia, aplastic anemia and thalassemia in children, bone marrow transplant will be done after removing infected bone marrow of children and taking the healthy bone marrow of another person. The primary donors for transplanting a bone marrow of afflicted children are the siblings of the children, who have a more than 25 percent chance of matching with the bone marrow of the infected child.
Sarang informed that an autologous stem cell transplant will be performed in patients suffering from cancer like leukemia, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma by removing their own stem cells. The stem cells of the affected patient will be removed, then it will be cryo-preserved following which the autologous transplant will be performed on the same patient.
Sarang said that in the absence of siblings of the victim children, any donor’s bone marrow which matches 100 percent with the patient, can be used. Secondary donors are identified through Stem Cell Registry.
He informed that any person can voluntarily register himself to donate his bone marrow in the Stem Cell Registry of the Government of India. He can donate his bone marrow with any affected children if the bone marrow matches.
The Minister informed that there are six beds in the bone marrow transplant unit and 24 beds in the pediatric cancer unit. It has 6 ICU beds. The unit has a set target to perform about 20 bone marrow transplants in a year.
Sarang informed that by developing world-class medical system for the treatment of cancer and genetic diseases in children, Dr Prakash Satwani, renowned bone marrow transplant specialist of Columbia University, New York, USA will provide free medical treatment and support.