Mumbai, May 9 -- The civic-run Sion Hospital is set to expand its bone marrow transplant (BMT) facility, in a move aimed at improving paediatric cancer care within the public health system. According to Dr Mohan Joshi, dean of Sion Hospital, the institute will increase its capacity from just two BMT beds to eight in the next three months. "Currently, the hospital performs an average of 24 bone marrow transplants annually. With the expanded capacity, this number is expected to rise to approximately 100 transplants per year, significantly reducing waiting times," said Dr Joshi. Due to the current shortage of beds, many patients were being referred to other centres such as Wadia Hospital or Tata Memorial Hospital, both of which have lengthy queues for BMT procedures, said a doctor at Sion Hospital, who requested anonymity. The expansion is, thereby, expected to improve access to critical, life-saving transplants for children diagnosed with haematological cancers and genetic blood disorders, particularly those from low-income households in areas such as the nearby Dharavi slums. Established in 2015, Sion Hospital was the first civic medical institution to initiate a BMT programme. Over the years, it has completed 104 paediatric bone marrow transplants, with a reported success rate of 93%, according to Dr Radha Ghiladhial, head of the paediatric department. BMT is a complex and resource-intensive procedure that often serves as the only curative option for children with severe blood disorders, explained Dr Ghiladhial. "The process involves conditioning chemotherapy to eradicate diseased marrow, followed by the infusion of healthy hematopoietic stem cells from a matched donor," she said. "Patients must remain in sterile isolation for several weeks to prevent infections while the new marrow engrafts and begins producing healthy blood cells." Infrastructural constraints and long wait times have posed serious challenges for patients. Conditions such as thalassemia major require lifelong transfusions, which can lead to iron overload and multi-organ complications if not managed with chelation therapy. A timely bone marrow transplant not only improves survival rates but also eliminates the need for lifelong transfusions, significantly enhancing quality of life, said Dr Ghiladhial. The planned expansion of the BMT facility at Sion Hospital would help improve treatment equity, particularly for underprivileged families who cannot access timely care elsewhere, she added. Bone marrow transplantation in private hospitals typically costs between Rs.25 lakh and Rs.30 lakh, making it inaccessible for many. "For families from low-income backgrounds, this cost is insurmountable," said Dr Joshi. "At Sion Hospital, however, the transplant is provided almost entirely free of charge, thanks to government health schemes, donations, and support from non-governmental organisations." In most cases, families pay no more than Rs.30,000 to Rs.35,000 in out-of-pocket expenses, he added. Eight-year-old Imran Shaikh from Dharavi is among the many lives transformed by this programme. Diagnosed with thalassemia major at age two, he required monthly blood transfusions. With no means to afford private care, Imran's family turned to Sion Hospital. After a six-month wait, he received a successful transplant in 2023. His mother, Fatema, said, "Sion Hospital didn't just treat him-they gave him his life back. We were guided and supported throughout."...