In Sindh, including Karachi, public hospitals do not provide bone marrow transplants for patients suffering from thalassemia and blood cancer (aplastic anemia). According to Express Tribune, these life-saving treatments are almost impossible for poor patients as private hospitals like NICHD and Indus treat around 5,000 patients monthly from Sindh and Balochistan. Bone marrow transplants are prohibitively expensive in private hospitals.
Experts say bone marrow transplants are vital for thalassemia and blood cancer patients, but other cancer treatments are also expensive. For families, these costs lead to severe financial difficulties.
A 14-year-old thalassemia patient named Tahir shared that his parents are unable to afford the transplant and must get blood transfusions regularly. His father recounted the financial burden they faced when consulting with Dr. Tahir Shamsi 10 years ago, who recommended a bone marrow transplant costing between 30 to 35 lakhs at that time.
Shayan, a 10-year-old boy with thalassemia, has also been denied affordable treatment, and his mother shared how costly the bone marrow test for a sibling or parent is, which leaves them no choice but to continue monthly blood transfusions.
Dr. Saqib Ansari, a blood disease expert, stated that the diagnosis and treatment of blood cancers have become prohibitively expensive, with imported medicines further escalating the costs.
Pakistan’s first bone marrow transplant for thalassemia was performed in Karachi in 1994 by Professor Dr. Tahir Shamsi.
