stem cell therapy under CM health insurence scheme

Though the state government has taken an initiative to promote cord blood banks to cell therapy affordable to the poor, awareness on the promising treatment method is low in tier-2 cities like Trichy, as was revealed during a seminar held here on Friday. Moreover, crucial facilities required to encourage the treatment is lacking.

Stem cell therapy is used in the treatment of several genetic diseases, cancers, and blood disorders. Blood harvested from umbilical cord is stored for retrieval for future use. Stem cells (undifferentiated biological cells) taken from the blood are injected into damaged tissue to treat disease or injury.

"Knowledge about the advantages of stem cell therapy is low in our city. At the same time, we have treated many patients, including six-year-old to 94-year-old, through stem cell therapy in a span of eight years," said Dr P Ramachandran, plastic surgeon at Maruthi Hospital in the city, while addressing the students of KAP Viswanatham Government Medical College.

As storing cord blood in private hospitals is not financially feasible to many, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) has plans to set up a facility. Already, some private hospitals in the city are trying to persuade parents of new-born babies to store umbilical cord blood, though no such facility exists in Trichy unlike Chennai and Bangalore. In May 2013, the state government had announced Rs 9 crore grant to the cord bank of a private company in Chennai. As per the initiative the poor can store cord blood free of cost under the chief minister's comprehensive health insurance scheme. Unfortunately, many are not aware of the facility

However, oncologist Dr Arun Seshachalam, a member of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), is of the view that it will take a while before stem cell therapy picks up in the state. "A lot of research is on to make it useful for treating many complicated disease. Currently, stem cell therapy has proved to be a definite treatment for blood cancer and thalassemia. At the same time, the cost of treatment is very high," said Dr Seshachalam.

Interestingly, several doctors and medicine students are yet to regard the emerging field seriously and start learning about the therapy. "We organise workshops to make our students keep abreast of latest developments in stem cell therapy. If the facility is available in government hospital, many poor will be benefited," said Dr D Saminathan, head of department of paediatrics, MGMGH.

Commenting on the necessity of providing stem cell therapy at MGMGH, Dr MA Aleem, vice-principal of KAP Viswanatham government medical college, said a facility for it could be set up at the super-speciality block which is under construction on the MGMGH campus.