‘Bone marrow transplant cost must be reduced’

Health experts say that cutting down the cost of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is needed as the majority of patients die waiting due to the unaffordable treatment and the crushing cost of medicines. According to experts, other than the unavailability of affordable treatment, an insufficient number of medical centres providing quality BMT treatment is another major challenge.

As per the World Health of Organisation (WHO), 50,000-60,000 Indians suffering from blood diseases require BMT annually. “BMT is a very expensive treatment and many cannot afford the procedure. The cost of treatment may vary from Rs 20 to 80 lakhs depending on the type of procedure and other factors like type of blood disorder, response of the patient to chemotherapy, failure of graft, relapse, body’s immune response and many others,” Dharamshila Cancer Foundation and Research Centre president S. Khanna says.

Only 1,000 out of 50,000-60,000 patients requiring bone marrow transplantation receive BMTs annually due to non-availability of fully matched HLA (human leukocyte antigen). Continuous research in the last two decades shows a glimmer of hope for such patients. With the advent of technology, it is now possible to do half-matched or Haploidentical BMT which is more or less equally effective as fully matched HLA.

Doctors at Dharamshila Hospital, who have treated more than 300 patients with haematological malignancies and 50 Haploidentical BMT in the last 18 months, emphasise on the need for setting up more affordable bone marrow transplant centres or setting aside an exclusive block in a hospital for the purpose, along with more trained doctors as well as hospital staff.

“Cost is a major concern for my patients. Sixty to 70 per cent of the BMT bill consists of drugs, disposables and consumables and 30-40% of the bill is due to services. Less than four per cent of patients have insurance, that too is very low and does not cover the BMT costs,” Dr Khanna adds.