The expenditure will be paid directly to the hospital under the Thalassemia Bal Seva Yojana

CHANDIGARH: The Thalassemia Bal Seva Yojana has now been launched in Punjab. The National Health Mission, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Coal India Limited will jointly bear the cost of bone marrow transplantation up to Rs 10 lakh. This expenditure will be paid directly to the hospital under the Thalassemia Bal Seva Yojana.

Bone marrow transplantation is now available at both PGI Chandigarh and CMC Ludhiana. This scheme was launched across the country in the year 2017. Phase 2 of the Yojana has been completed. Its third phase began on May 8. In a private hospital, its cost is around Rs 25 to 30 lakhs.

According to the Director of National Health Mission Punjab, Dr. Bobby Gulati, this scheme has now been implemented in Punjab as well. Patients can apply online on the portal. There are total 1,497 thalassemia patients in Punjab. Most of them are small children. Bone marrow transplantation or BMT or stem cell transplant is a complex medical procedure. In this, damaged or destroyed stem cells are replaced with healthy bone marrow cells. Notably, Bone marrow is the substance found between bones.