Jharkhand to set up first Bone Marrow transplant unit in Ranchi

Jharkhand Health Minister Irfan Ansari on Tuesday told the Assembly that a bone marrow transplant (BMT) unit would soon be set up in Ranchi. He also said the government was contemplating bearing the cost of bone marrow transplants for thalassemia patients outside the state.

Ansari was replying to a query raised by Congress MLA Pradeep Yadav during call-attention proceedings on the condition of thalassemia patients in the state. Yadav sought to know whether the government had any data on thalassemia patients and if it planned to bear the cost of bone marrow transplants, which are crucial for treatment.

During his reply in the House, it was stated that data on thalassemia patients in Jharkhand was being compiled and that the process would be completed within a month. It was also informed that Jharkhand does not currently have a bone marrow transplant unit.

It was conveyed that a decision had been taken for a BMT unit to be established at Ranchi’s Sadar Hospital with an estimated cost of Rs 7 crore . It was further stated that consideration was being given to bearing the cost of bone marrow transplants for thalassemia patients outside Jharkhand, with the approximate expenditure per patient being around Rs 14 lakh.

The matter gained urgency after five children suffering from thalassemia in Chaibasa were reported to have tested HIV-positive following blood transfusions, after which the issue was taken seriously by the state government.

Several bone marrow transplant units are already operational across India. Major government institutions such as AIIMS New Delhi, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, PGIMER Chandigarh and SGPGIMS Lucknow have long-established BMT programmes. In the private sector, leading hospitals including Apollo Hospitals, Fortis, Medanta and Narayana Health regularly conduct bone marrow transplants for conditions such as thalassemia, blood cancers and other serious blood disorders.

Meanwhile, as the House proceedings began around 11 am, Leader of Opposition and BJP leader Babulal Marandi raised the issue of alleged irregularities in MBBS admissions. He accused the Jharkhand Combined Entrance Competitive Examination Board (JCECEB) of violating the guidelines of the Medical Counselling Committee, which led to sharp exchanges in the Assembly.