Press release and Comments

If we can procure and maintain a supply of stem cells, BMT costs are likely to drop, 2022

https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/hospitals/if-we-can-procure-and-maintain-a-supply-of-stem-cells-bmt-costs-are-likely-to-drop-dr-prasad-narayanan/93580025

Comments

Dr. R. M. Subbaih*

Consultant Hemato-Oncology, Kauvery Hospital, Trichy, India

*Correspondence: drrms5@yahoo.co.in

subbaiah

Unrelated donor stem cells transplants are reducing in number due to the availability of haplo identical donors readily in the family.

People have shown a similar efficacy between Matched Unrelated Donor (MUD) transplantation and haplo

So haplo is readily preferred in the current era unlike previous where MUD > haplo

Cost for procuring and preserving a MUD graft is high when the product is claimed for a patient.

The cost for supportive care is more rather than the graft.

Stem Cell Banking should be a public service as in Scandinavian countries rather than a private sector one as in India

Indian private sector cord stem cell banking is “for profit”; procures umbilical cord stem cells at birth and stores them on receiving a fee from parents; they are hardly ever used later.

The probability of getting such a disease to be cured by one’s own stem cells which are preserved is very low.

We in India are doing a great job by doing BMT at a fraction of cost of what prevails in the west world does

Generic antibiotics, support from the government and NGOs can be the keys to make the procedure affordable

TN government is generous; they give 10 L for allo, 17L each for MUD/haplo and 3L for auto.