Mumbai: In a major boost to public healthcare, the BMC-run Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital (Sion Hospital) will soon be able to conduct up to 120 bone marrow transplants (BMTs) for children each year, marking a 400% increase in capacity. At present, the hospital has been carrying out two BMTs every month at its centre located at the Eknath Gaikwad Urban Health Centre in Dharavi.
The hospital’s expanded BMT centre in Dharavi is set to become operational in November, aiming to strengthen treatment infrastructure for childhood cancers and blood disorders within Mumbai’s public health network.
Expanded Facility With CSR Support
According to Dr. Mohan Joshi, Dean of Sion Hospital, the BMT ward’s capacity has been expanded from two to eight beds. The project has been made possible through ₹5 crore in financial assistance from Cipla, provided under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative. Cipla has also committed to covering treatment costs for the next 10 years, ensuring free care for children from low-income families.
Currently, Sion Hospital performs around 24 BMTs annually, but with the new facility, the number is expected to rise fivefold. “The expansion will reduce waiting times and make life-saving treatment accessible to more children,” said Dr. Joshi.
Reducing Burden on City’s Healthcare Network
Until now, many children requiring BMTs were referred to Wadia Hospital, Tata Memorial Hospital, and BMC’s Borivali centre, where long waiting lists often delayed critical treatment. The new Dharavi centre is expected to significantly reduce this burden and provide timely care to underprivileged patients.
The expansion is particularly beneficial for families from economically weaker sections, especially in densely populated areas like Dharavi, where patients cannot afford the ₹25–30 lakh cost of transplants in private hospitals.
High Success Rate in Bone Marrow Transplants
Since 2015, Sion Hospital has successfully performed 104 bone marrow transplants with a 93% success rate.
BMT is a complex, life-saving procedure in which diseased bone marrow is removed through chemotherapy and replaced with healthy stem cells.
The treatment is used for leukemia (blood cancer), thalassemia, sickle cell disease, aplastic anemia, and over 50 other serious conditions, including genetic brain disorders. Studies show that 70–75% of patients are cured following bone marrow transplantation, with siblings or parents often serving as donors.
