Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, Kolkata strengthens its Bone Marrow Transplant Unit to deliver new hope for patients

Strengthening its ‘Precision Oncology’ focus, Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, Kolkatas, which pioneered the concept of comprehensive cancer care in the region, has expanded the ambit of its state-of-the-art Bone Marrow Transplant Unit.

Bone Marrow Transplant is a critical process which involves the replacement of damaged or destroyed bone marrow (soft fatty tissues inside the bones that produce the different kinds of blood cells) by healthy bone marrow stem cells. While the traditional method required a matched donor (a sibling), the team at Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, Kolkata is now undertaking haploidentical (either parent can be a donor) and even unrelated donor transplants. This latest advancement, available in only a handful of institutes across the country, helps ensure that all those in need of a transplant now, have a better chance of finding a stem cell donor. Supported by world-class facilities including NAT-tested (nucleic acid tested) blood products, post-transplant drug level and infection monitoring, and round-the-clock multi-disciplinary care, patients can now therefore look forward to better and improved outcomes.

Dr Anupam Chakrapani, Haematologist and Haemato-Oncologist, said, “Given the cost and complexities, Bone Marrow Transplants were traditionally reserved for malignant conditions like Lymphoma, Leukaemia, Multiple Myeloma and some Germ Cell Tumours. However, latest advancements in the domain have also allowed us to extend the benefits of this advanced procedure to combat the menace of non-malignant, but none the less critical, conditions like Thalassemia and Aplastic Anaemia. Comprehensive peritransplant care facilities and a focused approach have helped improve results, even in the area of haplo- and unrelated donor transplants.”

Dr Rupali Basu, President and CEO Eastern Region, Apollo Hospitals Group, India, observed, “Last year, about 1600 bone marrow transplants were undertaken across the nation. A very small fraction of these procedures were undertaken in the eastern part of the country, inspiring us to strive towards elimination of this lacuna. Our team, supported by the latest infrastructure and best-in-class facilities, including the only NABH-certified Blood Bank in Eastern India, is therefore transforming the treatment paradigm, and consolidating our motto of ‘Touching Lives’. We will continue to build on our services, so that patients of the region can look forward to all treatment options at the convenience of the doorstep.”