THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Young patients at the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) will soon have access to affordable, life-saving bone marrow transplants using donor stem cells. This highly anticipated facility, housed in a dedicated new block, is expected to be operational by the end of the year, bringing immense relief to scores of families priced out of private healthcare.
A major milestone was achieved on Thursday when the RCC received a sophisticated, ultra-low temperature “fridge” — a `43-lakh cryofreeze machine that is the most crucial and expensive component of the transplant process.
“This is the machine used to cryofreeze and preserve stem cells collected for transplantation at temperatures ranging from -80°C to -196°C. The optimum temperature helps in keeping the stem cells in optimum condition,” pointed out Dr Priya Kumari T, professor and head of the department of paediatric oncology at RCC.
Functioning like a specialised blood bank, the equipment allows for a one-time collection of cells that can be safely preserved and used for subsequent procedures if a previous transplant fails. By eliminating the need to harvest fresh cells every single time, this technology slashes overall treatment costs for both patients and the hospital. Using liquid nitrogen, the machine preserves the viability of the cells for up to 25 years.
This removes the need to rush the transplant process, allowing cells to stay in storage until the patient’s health improves or a donor becomes available.
The machine was provided by Kanal Innovations Charitable Trust with the support of Guidehouse India Private Ltd. Health Minister K Muraleedharan hailed the initiative as a perfect model for how private entities can support the public health system. “Guidehouse is proud to contribute a high-end bone marrow transplant machine to RCC as a step towards expanding access to advanced, life-saving care for children battling cancer.
This effort underscores Guidehouse’s commitment to strengthening paediatric cancer treatment, enabling better clinical outcomes, and bringing hope to families when they need it most,” said Mahendra Singh Rawat, partner & country head, Guidehouse India.
While private facilities charge hefty annual fees ranging from `25,000 to Rs 60,000 for this service, RCC will offer it as an accessible, public health alternative.
A store for stem cells
Cost: L43 lakh
Temperature range: -80°C to -196°C
Freezing agent: Liquid nitrogen
Cell viability: Can be preserved for 20-25 years
What is BMT?
Bone marrow transplant is also known as stem cell transplant
It restores diseased marrow with healthy cells
BMT rescues the body’s ability to make blood
Autologous BMT uses the patient’s own cells
Allogeneic BMT uses cells from a matched donor
