Bone marrow transplant: First pediatrics unit set up

KARACHI: The National Institute of Blood Diseases (NIBD) has established the first ever Pediatrics Bone Marrow Transplant Unit and Genomic Department of the country. The MD Pakistan Baitul Mal (PBM), Barrister Abid Waheed Shaikh, inaugurated the unit at the NIBD on Thursday. Shaikh announced that the PBM will provide the facility of bone marrow transplant to 100 children, saying that the institution will keep providing financial assistance to NIBD for the transplants. Talking to media, NIBD Director Dr Tahir Sultan Shamsi said that the NIBD will provide the facility of diagnosis the genetic related diseases before time, adding that the patients of cancer and other diseases would be treated through proper medicines at NIBD. So far 500 successful transplants have been conducted by NIBD. More than 3,000 bone marrow transplants are reported every year.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2014.