ISLAMABAD— Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Centre in children hospital at Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) is providing medical treatment to the patients on subsidized rate which is otherwise, very expensive in private sector.
The centre is facing financial problems when number of thalasemia patients and the cost of treatment is increasing day by day. There are 3000 registered patients in PIMS thalasemia center other centers have their own registered children like Jamila Sultana, Fatmeed Sundas Foundation etc.
In 2018, the Supreme Court had taken suo motu notice of the closure of the BMT Centre after receiving a joint complaint from parents of children who had been availing treatment at the Centre. The parents had contended that the BMT Centre’s closure was aimed at benefiting private hospitals, which mint money and are beyond the reach of a majority who cannot afford disastrous spending on medical treatment.
Unlike, private hospitals, which provide only blood transfusion per every three weeks till their lives but not cure from this blood requirement. Transplant not only relieves them from this menace but also make them healthy useful contributing citizen for society rather than being a burden both economically and physically.
Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Centre in children hospital (PIMS) is only facility in public sector which is providing treatment to innocent patients at cheaper and affordable rates as compare with other private sectors hospitals.
If compare with other private sector BMT, the cost of treatment is reasonable and affordable for poor patients.
The cost of transfusions is only Rs 15000 per every 3 week. Monthly cost of compulsory daily medicine to lower iron level is also between Rs 40,000 to 50,000 per month. Total cost of the supportive treatment only is upto Rs 1.2 million. The cost of treatment depends on the age. In case, complication occurs like Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C or HIV than the cost increases. It has been observed that as Hepatitis B and C and other health problems are associated with thalasemia patients.
Deserving thalasemia patients may also avail financial support upto Rs 600,000 from Pakistan Baitulmal. In addition, no hospital charges or doctors fee inside formulary free are charged there as well as inside labs investigations are also free of charge for the patients.
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