Prayagraj: Kamla Nehru Memorial Hospital (KNMH) doctors have successfully conducted their first bone marrow transplant (BMT) on a 63-year-old patient from Pratapgarh suffering from blood cancer, marking the launch of a high-end life-saving treatment service in the region.Speaking to the media, Dr Manas Dubey, consultant and unit in-charge medical oncologist at KNMH, said before starting the facility, extensive training workshops were conducted for the hospital staff. A dedicated team was then selected and trained for the BMT procedure. “The treatment involved the use of the patient’s own bone marrow, with stem cell mobilisation carried out using a newly procured apheresis machine. The hospital has also installed an advanced stem cell count machine to ensure precision in the process pertaining to how much bone marrow is needed and extracted,” he said.The patient, who was suffering from blood cancer, first reported to the hospital in April last year. He was admitted on March 17 this year and discharged on Friday. First, healthy stem cells were extracted from his blood, and after inducing high-dose chemotherapy, the stem cell transplantation procedure was performed. Throughout the treatment, the patient and attendant were kept in strict isolation with HEPA-filtered care to prevent any risk of infection.Hospital CEO, Dr Madhu Chandra, said the procedure, which typically costs Rs 12-15 lakh in private hospitals, was performed completely free of cost.She added that the hospital is working to create a corpus fund with the support of trustees to help economically weaker patients access such expensive treatments in the future. She also informed that around 10 patients are currently on the wait list for similar procedures.“This is the second such facility in eastern Uttar Pradesh after Varanasi,” said director (administration) Hari Om Singh.The medical team included Dr Varsha from pathology, Dr Manas Dubey and supporting staff.
