First bone marrow transplant on a child successful in the UAE

ABU DHABI: Burjeel Medical City’ has successfully performed the very first bone marrow transplant from a donor to a child in the UAE.

The highly advanced, matched sibling transplant treatment was successfully carried out on a five-year-old girl from Uganda, with the donor being her 10-year-old sister.

The patient responded well to the treatment and is due to be discharged from Burjeel Medical City within a few days, following 5 weeks of admission to the hospital.

Prior to the treatment, the child, who suffered from sickle cell disease, had been regularly admitted to the hospital due to complications arising from her disease since birth.

Doctor Zainul Aabideen, Head of the Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at BMC, noted the imperative nature of providing such advanced treatment at the hospital. He commented, “The only curative option for this life-threatening condition is bone marrow transplantation. Prior to this procedure, there would have been immense suffering for the patient. The entire care team here at the hospital, as well as the child’s parents, are delighted that the transplant will relieve this pain from her life.”

The only curative treatment for this life-limiting chronic disease is the bone marrow transplantation currently taking place at BMC. Other diseases for which the treatment can provide a cure include leukaemia, immunodeficiency diseases, hemoglobinopathies, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, plasma cell disorders, and myeloma.

BMC placed extreme importance on enlisting the correct nursing care for the procedures and recruiting those who are experienced in bone marrow transplantation in children. A team of highly specialised doctors, including a pediatric intensive care team, was also pivotal to the success of the procedure and demonstrates the commitment of BMC to improving the health care of children in the UAE by offering such advanced bone marrow transplant treatment methods.

WAM

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