The Highest Number of Paediatric Haploidentical (Half-match) Bone Marrow Transplants Performed in India

News Desk, News Nation 360: In a significant step toward addressing India’s gaping hole in donor-matching for children with life-threatening blood disorders, Narayana Health City (Bengaluru) has chalked up over 1,000 paediatric haploidentical (half-matched) bone marrow transplants (BMTs), becoming the first hospital here to register this feat and the highest number in Asia for the procedure, as a part of more than 2,500 total bone marrow transplants. With Dr Sunil Bhat (Vice Chairman Oncology Collegium and Clinical Lead, Paediatric Haematology, Oncology & BMT) at the helm, the Centre has also chalked up a record number of 228 paediatric bone marrow transplants in a single financial year. Speaking about the achievements while citing the need for better HLA donor matching, he said: “Conditions like thalassemia major, severe aplastic anaemia and relapsed leukaemias – that only have a 25-30% chance of finding a matched sibling – have saved countless lives with their treatment, as there is always hope that a donor will be found.” Meanwhile, Narayana Health Founder & Chairman Dr Devi Prasad Shetty noted that bridging the gap in terms of HLA donor matching would ensure that the lack of an appropriately matched donor is never a reason for despair for patients or their families.

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