New Delhi: The two radiation exposure
patients, undergoing treatment at Army Hospital Research and
Referral here, may require bone marrow transplant which will
cost Rs 14-20 lakh to the government.
Ajay Jain (40) and Deepak Jain (32) have been admitted to
the Army Hospital Research and Referral with compromised bone
marrow.
"If the bone marrow transplant is done then the
expenditure will be around seven to ten lakhs for each
patient," Lieutenant General Naresh Kumar, Commandant, Army
Hospital Research and Referral said.
A prospective donor for bone marrow transplant is under
process for one of the patients, while for the other a matched
sibling donor has been found.
"Both the patients have compromised bone marrow and low
blood counts, however, they are clinically stable at present.
One of the patients has a fully matched Human Leucocyte
Antigen (HLA) sibling donor who may need to undergo a bone
marrow transplant in due course if bone marrow recovery does
not occur. The donors for the second patient is under
evaluation," Kumar said.
A bone marrow transplant in a private hospital in India
will cost between Rs 12 to Rs 20 lakh, while the same will
cost between three to four lakh US dollars abroad.
Explaining the need for a bone marrow transplant Lt Gen
Kumar said, "BMT is indicated for patients with radiation
exposure with severe degree of haematological toxicity where
there is extremely low blood count or bone marrow is severely
suppressed.
"Also it is necessary that no other vital organs have
been damaged by radiation which limits the usefulness of the
BMT because of the high morbidity and mortality involved in
such cases."
Brigadier Velu Nair, head of the department of
haematology and BMT, AHR&H said, "We will wait and see if the
patient`s bone marrow regenerates over the next few weeks,
then it is fine. However, if bone marrow failure is
established then we are fully prepared to carry out BMT in
these patients from their sibling donors."
He also said, "It is a time consuming and labour
intensive process to carry out a BMT. It takes three to four
weeks and these patients have to be observed for six to 12
months for development of various immunological and infective
complications post transplant."
PTI
