New Delhi: BALCO Medical Centre (BMC), a state-of-the-art oncology and multi-specialty hospital in Naya Raipur, has successfully performed Chhattisgarh’s first haplo-identical (half-matched) stem cell transplant for sickle cell anaemia, a major medical milestone that opens curative possibilities for patients previously without donor matches.
Sickle cell anaemia is one of the most prevalent inherited blood disorders in Chhattisgarh, particularly affecting children and young adults in tribal and rural areas. Until now, bone marrow transplants (BMT), the only curative treatment, were limited to patients with fully matched sibling donors, leaving nearly 80% of patients without access to a cure. The haplo-identical (half-matched) transplant technique allows parents to donate stem cells even if they are not a perfect match, significantly broadening the donor pool and making curative treatment possible for many more patients.
The patient, a 16-year-old girl from Chhattisgarh, had endured years of severe pain, anaemia, and repeated hospitalisations. She received healthy stem cells from her father, a half-match on genetic testing. Post-transplant, she has made a full recovery and is now symptom-free. Her latest reports show 98.6% donor chimerism, indicating that nearly all her red blood cells are now healthy donor cells, effectively curing her of sickle cell disease.
Dr. Bhawna Sirohi, Medical Director, BALCO Medical Centre, said, “Sickle cell anaemia is a major public health issue in Chhattisgarh and neighboring states. Early diagnosis, timely referral, and expert care are critical to the success of stem cell transplants. This achievement shows that patients no longer need to travel to metro cities for advanced care. Our goal is to make curative treatment accessible and affordable for every patient, regardless of where they come from.”
Dr. Dibyendu De, Consultant – Haemato-Oncology & Bone Marrow Transplant, BALCO Medical Centre, who led the procedure, said, “This is a landmark achievement for Chhattisgarh. Haplo-identical transplantation is technically complex and requires advanced infrastructure and expertise. With this success, we have demonstrated that such cutting-edge treatment can now be safely performed in the region, offering real hope to hundreds of patients who previously had no curative option.”
With this breakthrough, every patient in our region can now look forward to a real chance at a cure, even without a fully matched sibling donor. BALCO Medical Centre is now one of the few centres in India offering this complex therapy, marking a major step forward in curative care for sickle cell anaemia in Chhattisgarh.
