Mumbai: After a six-month hiatus, KEM Hospital has once again started autologous (self) adult bone marrow transplant (BMT) procedures. The transplants had stopped after several staff members, including the HoD, left the hospital last year.BMT is a procedure that replaces damaged or diseased bone marrow with healthy stem cells, which can come from the patient (autologous transplant) or a donor (allogeneic transplant).Apart from the Tata Memorial Hospital, KEM is the only public health facility in the state that offers adult BMT. Until a few months ago, the hospital performed one BMT per month. However, around 30 patients are added to the queue every month. While the procedure in private hospitals costs between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 30 lakh, KEM remains a vital, affordable option.“We do not have as many doctors in the department at the moment, but things are changing. We are trying to have the positions filled,” said Dr Jai Juvekar, assistant professor in the hematology department.A 40-year-old woman with multiple myeloma—a type of blood cancer that develops in the plasma cells of the bone marrow—was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday after a bone marrow transplant. She was the first patient in many months. In India, the median age for developing this condition is 10 years younger compared to developed countries, where the disease typically manifests after 60, said Dr Juvekar.“We performed this procedure with three nurses, three residents, and four assistant professors. Until recently, we were only three doctors taking care of OPDs as well as admissions,” he added.Construction for a four-bed BMT unit at the hospital is still ongoing, but is expected to be in use this year. At present, civic facilities offer BMT services only for children at Sion Hospital and at Thalassemia Care Centre in Borivli. Dr Juvekar said the new centre will also facilitate allogeneic transplants and serve both adults and paediatric patients.
