New medical Oncology department in Sawai Man Singh hospital to boost bone marrow transplants

Jaipur : Giving boost to bone marrow transplant facilities, the Sawai Man Singh (SMS) medical college created a separate medical oncology department in SMS hospital. SMS Hospital is the only hospital in the state conducting bone marrow transplant (BMT) for treatment of various kinds of blood cancers including lymphoma. The medical oncology department is headed by associate professor Dr Sandeep Jasuja, who has a team of four medical officers and one assistant professor.
"SMS hospital is the only hospital in state which is conducting bone marrow transplant. Earlier, bone marrow transplant was done under medicine department but now a separate medical oncology department has been created to give boost to bone marrow transplant. Health minister Rajendra Rathore took keen interest in it and gave his approval for developing more facilities in the department," Dr Jasuja said.
So far the hospital has conducted 26 bone marrow transplants in the state with a success rate of 90%, which is equivalent to international standards. "Out of 26, as many as 25 patients have already been cured, who were suffering from various kinds of blood cancer, a plastic anaemia and thalassemia," Dr Jasuja said.
The department is in expansion mode, as 10 more beds have been added to it. Now, it is 20-bedded day care and there are three beds for bone marrow transplant along with 10 more beds added to it. "Earlier, we were conducting one bone marrow transplant every month, but now we will be able to conduct three bone marrow transplants as more facilities have developed. It will directly benefit the patients. The waiting for bone marrow transplant was two years but now with more facilities, the waiting period will be reduced to 2-3 months," Dr Jasuja said.
The hospital is planning to introduce haploidentical bone marrow transplant. At present, the hospital is conducting allogeneic and autologous transplant. It will help the patients, who do not have donors with human leukocyte antigen matching.