Suggested BMT Treatment Centers

1.  Apollo Specialty Hospital, Chennai, India

The Apollo Hospitals Group has been recognized as the ‘Architect of Modern Healthcare’ in India.

Some Salient Fact :
Established of the first corporate hospital in Chennai (Madras) in 1983

The Apollo Specialty Hospital, Chennai offers exclusive care in Super Specialties like Oncology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, ENT, Orthopedics and Plastic surgery. Besides curative care, Apollo Specialty Hospital offers preventive health check-ups that give a comprehensive picture of your state of health. ASH also has a 24-hour Emergency and Trauma Care Unit that can handle a variety of medical and surgical emergencies.

Apollo Specialty Hospital, Chennai, is India’s first super - specialty hospital to be awarded accreditation by JCI (USA) in 2006

The Apollo Cancer Foundation
The Apollo Cancer Foundation organizes a series of outreach programs to educate the public about cancer cure and care. Subjects like cancer prevention, treatment, control, alleviation of pain and assessment are addressed by the foundation.

Bone Marrow Transplant at Apollo Chennai
BMT is a technique used to treat malignant conditions like Acute Myeloid Leukemia, Lymphatic Leukemia, Myeloma and Hodgkin’s disease. Specific cases of breast and ovarian cancers, Neuroblastoma and genetic disorders like Thalassemia have also benefited from this treatment.

At Apollo Hospital, Chennai, bone marrow transplants have been performed to treat conditions like acute myeloid leukemia, lymphatic leukemia, Myeloma and Hodgkin's disease. Apollo has a hi-tech BMT unit with 80 dedicated beds, which is the largest in the continent. This BMT unit is at par with the best in the world, and performs both Allogenic, and Autologous BMT's.

The BMT unit at the Apollo Specialty Hospital is on par with the best in the world.

Cord Blood, rich in stem cells, is now in use. Facilities for both autologous and Allogenic transplantation are available at the hospital, using a cell separator for stem cell harvest procedures and a freezing system to cryo-preserve the cells for future use. Facilities for Peripheral Stem Harvest are also available.

Medical Oncology
Over a thousand new patients are given chemotherapy every year. Conventional and intensive chemotherapy is routinely performed at the hospital.

Surgical Oncology
Complicated and delicate tumor excisions are routinely performed at the Apollo Specialty Hospital by a team of highly trained and motivated Surgical Oncologists, well supported by skilled operating theater and recovery staff. The success rate of Oncology surgeries is comparable with the best centers in the world.

2.  Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, India 

Established in 1990, the Manipal Hospital is a landmark, multi-specialty health destination managed by Asia's largest hospital management group. We are a tertiary care hospital with state-of-the-art technology and 650-bed strength, providing sophisticated and specialized medical services at affordable costs in over 39 specialties. The warm ambience of the hospital, its team of cheerful and dedicated doctors, and over 1700 well-trained support staff ensure that the best in healthcare services is given to all our patients. It is our sacrament to enrich and preserve, to inspire and be inspired by life.

The parent company, the Manipal Group, is renowned worldwide for its pioneering work in education and healthcare spanning five decades. Its Healthcare Division runs 11 hospitals with 1250 doctors and 4250 beds, 7 government associate hospitals with 2565 beds, 7 rural health centers and 14 Medical Colleges with over 9000 students and 275 faculty staff. Manipal group has ventured beyond the boundaries created by history, geography, nationality, genders, socio-economic strata and found opportunities to create wealth of different kind – in the form of health, knowledge and social security – working towards a better future.

3.  Shemer Medical Centre, HAIFA, Israel

Bone Marrow Transplantation Department for adults
Director: Prof. Arnon Nagler
- Specialist in Internal Medicine, Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, and International Specialist in Cord Blood Transplantation. Advanced training in Hematology & Transplantation at Stanford University,(U.S.A.)
Prof. Nagler participated in several Indian Hematological conferences

The Bone Marrow Transplantation Department at the Sheba Medical Center is an integral part of the Hematology Division at the hospital. The department has 14 patient beds situated in modern private rooms, an outpatient treatment unit, patient clinic, aphaeresis-stem cell collection and freezing service, a clinical laboratory, a research laboratory, and a cell treatment and immunotherapy unit. The department is located, on the 5th floor, West Wing, of the Charles Clore Hospitalization Tower at the Sheba Medical Center.

Treatment offered in the department includes conventional chemotherapy, autologous bone marrow transplantation after high dose chemotherapy, allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (from a HLA tissue matched sibling donor), bone marrow transplantation from a matched unrelated donor (MUD), haploidentical bone marrow transplantation from a partially HLA matched tissue related donor, mini bone marrow transplantation (RIC, NST) which makes transplantation for the elderly, and stem cell transplantation possible and cord blood transplantation. Immunological treatment with cytokines, cell treatment, inoculations and single clone antibodies (immunotherapy) are also offered.   

To date approximately 2000 bone marrow transplantations, hematopoietic stem cell collections and immunotherapy and immunology treatments have been performed at the BMT department at Sheba. In 2004 198 BMT procedures were performed at Sheba.

The BMT department at Sheba is at the forefront of treatment for Leukemia, Lymphatic and Solid malignant tumors and is a leader in the field both in Israel and on an international level. BMT for non-malignant diseases, of which some are genetic and congenital and some metabolic related, is also performed. Recently treatment of autoimmune diseases has been performed in cooperation with Prof. Yehuda Schoenfeld, a world-renowned expert on autoimmune diseases and Dr. Anat Achiron an international expert on Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Innovative Specialist's Clinics for other medical disciplines that are necessary to support patients post BMT have been opened recently. Dr. Dror Meirov, an international expert in the field of post BMT fertility, heads one of these clinics. The clinic also offers the services of gynecology, pulmonary, infectious disease (ID) and hepatic disease specialists.

The department is a member of and is recognized by the European Bone Marrow Transplantation - EBMT and the International Bone Marrow Transplantation Registry - IBMTR, both international Autologous, Allogeneic, MUD, Haploidentical and Cord Blood Transplantation organizations. The department is also a member of the National Marrow Donor Program - NMDP, an international organization for Allogeneic BMT from an unrelated tissue matched donor.

The department meets international criterion for BMT performance, and participates in and presents on a regular basis at international conferences on BMT and scientific publications and research on the subject.     

Treatment at the department is offered to the patients on an individual basis, and patients enjoy the personal attention of the staff twenty four hours a day. Patients are hospitalized in private rooms, accessorized with television sets hooked up to satellite broadcasts, stereo music, computer, telephone, a refrigerator and other accessories that make the stay more pleasant for the patient and his or her family. 

The department offers a spacious fully accessorized family room for the use of the families of patients. A support group to help the patients deal with the complex treatments they are undergoing is also active. In addition, an innovative treatment utilizing "painting" therapy has become an integral part of the treatment offered by the staff. A volunteer group has also been organized to support the patients with special needs. From a medical standpoint the department offers a wide range of BMT transplantation procedures and treatments.

Hematology - Oncology Department for children  

Director of the Department: Dr. Isaac Yaniv 
The Hematology-Oncology Department for children and adolescents is a national referral center for Clalit Health Services. The Center was established over 30 years ago and receives young patients with blood and malignant disease from all over the country. Similarly, the department treats international patients from the FSU, Turkey, Cyprus and others. Each year, about 150 new cases of cancer are diagnosed in children and adolescents and another 250 youngsters with various blood diseases. The Center comprises 5 sub-units:

Clinics
1. Hematology Clinic

2. Diagnostic Oncology Clinic

3. Follow-Up Clinic that presently includes over 1,000 children, adolescents and
    adults who have recovered from malignant diseases, some of whom are
    themselves married and parents of children today

4. Solid Mass Tumors Clinic

5. Fertility Clinic

6. Neuro-Oncology Clinic

Hemo-Oncology Day Care
The unit comprises 15 beds and is open from 07:00 until 23:00 in order to ensure that patients and their families can receive lengthy treatments without the need for hospitalization. The late opening hours also allow children to attend regular kindergarten or school (or allow parents to go to work) during the day and still receive treatments in the afternoons or evenings.
Oncology Inpatient Department

The unit comprises 20 beds for chemotherapy patients who require hospitalization, patients with side-effects following chemotherapy, and for patients in an advanced stage of the disease and their families who receive individual, supportive care.

The Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit
Consists of 5 beds in separate rooms fitted with laminar airflow systems, where children from all over the country undergo bone marrow transplants.

Research Laboratories
There are 6 laboratories for Molecular Biology, Genetics, Bone Marrow and Immunology of Cancer, Blood Diseases and Stem Cell Biology.

The Department provides comprehensive care to the child and his family:

1.Medical - Pediatric specialists in Hematology and Oncology

2.Nursing - Experienced nurses in chemotherapy treatments and supportive
   care of the child in an advanced stage of the disease

3. Psychosocial - Social workers accompany the child and his family throughout
     the course of treatment and its completion; Support groups for
     parents, children and adolescents

4. Multidisciplinary Approach - The Center comprises multidisciplinary teams
    including psychiatrists, educators, art therapists, physical and occupational
    therapists, a dietician and others.

The main objective of treatment is to return the young child to full health and to safeguard his quality of life during and following therapy.

4.  Parkway Hospitals Group, Singapore

Gleaneagles Hospital, Singapore
A regional Centre for medical referrals, Gleneagles' key strengths include its patient focus, user friendly services, quality care, specialists' expertise and cutting-edge technology.

As a 380-bed private tertiary acute care hospital, it provides a wide range of medical and surgical services for the total management of patients.

Gleneagles is part of Singapore-based Parkway Hospitals Singapore - one of Asia's largest private healthcare organisations. Together with its sister company Parkway Group Healthcare, they manage an extensive network of hospitals and integrated healthcare facilities in the region, a network of seven other hospitals in Asia.

MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS
First hospital in South East Asia to perform a living donor liver transplant    (LDLT) for children.

First hospital in Asia to successfully perform closure of atrial septal defects    using the amplatz occluder

First hospital in Asia to successfully perform laparoscopic assisted    ventricular peritoneal placement on a newborn 

First hospital in Southeast Asia to use the state-of-the-art robotic surgiscope    for neurosurgery, ear nose and throat (ENT) and spinal surgeries (shortens    surgery and recovery time by 30%)

First hospital in Singapore to successfully perform closure of ventricular    septal defect  

First hospital in Singapore to pioneer the redesign of inpatient admission and    discharge process through Work Redesign

First hospital to open Southeast Asia's first and only Korean clinic  

The first sextuplets in Southeast Asia were born in Gleneagles     Hospital                                    

Asia's Premier Biomedical Sciences Hub
Singapore is actively advancing the application of biomedical research in healthcare and extending its capabilities to clinical trials and healthcare delivery. The world's leading biomedical companies are based here in Singapore. These support the latest innovative treatments and therapies now available in Singapore.

High Safety Standards
Patients enjoy faster access to safe new treatments and healthcare products under Singapore's healthcare system. The city sets and enforces standards to safeguard public health and ensures efficiency while supporting medical advancement.
Highly qualified and experienced professionals administer our healthcare system. The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) sets strict standards on drug evaluation, pharmaceutical administration, medical devices, analytical science, forensic science and medicine, radiation protection and transfusion medicine.

LIVING DONOR LIVER TRANSPLANT (LDLT) - Gleneagles Hospital (Singapore)
Until recently, more than 75% of patients on the waiting list for liver transplants were destined to die.

The reason: an acute shortage of cadaveric livers for transplant. While the incidence of liver disease increased, the shortage of cadaveric livers worldwide became more and more critical. Patients could not look west for a transplant either because of the shortage, which made the cost prohibitive.

The answer lies in developing a LDLT capability in Asia. Today, the Gleneagles LDLT holds out great hope for patients with end stage liver disease.

In LDLT, segments of livers from living adults are transplanted into patients with terminal liver disease. The remaining liver in the donor regenerates and replaces to its original size and function in four to six weeks. The transplanted liver segments in the patient also regenerate rapidly.

Initially, LDLT transplants were done for children, with the donors being mainly parents. With the experience gained by doctors, the LDLT procedure has been expanded to include adult recipients.

Gleneagles has a special strength in LDLT and treatment of liver ailments. Our team of doctors have expertise and extensive experience in major hepatobiliary and liver transplant surgery. They have performed LDLT in Singapore and overseas.

The team includes transplant and hepatobiliary surgeons, anaesthesiologists, gastroenterologists/ hepatologists, radiologists, pathologists, infectious disease specialists/ microbiologists and haemotologists.

Members of our team are associated with the following achievements:
- 1991 The first split liver transplant in the United Kingdom (UK)
- 1992 The first auxiliary liver transplant for liver failure in the UK
- 1993 The second auxiliary liver transplant for metabolic disease in the world
- 1993 The first living donor liver transplant in the UK
- 1995 The first living donor liver transplant in Southeast Asia
- 1997 The second split liver transplant in Asia

All the liver transplant operations will be performed at Gleneagles Hospital.

The donor is hospitalised for six to eight days and should be able to resume most light home and work activities within a month. The recipient is likely to stay in hospital for a longer period - usually for three to four weeks. During this period, the recipient is closely monitored for infection, rejection and regeneration of the transplanted liver.

An extensive donor evaluation process is undertaken to minimise the risk to both the donor and the recipient.

Mount Elizabeth Hospital Hematology and Stem Cell Transplant Centre, Singapore

FACILITIES AND SERVICES
Haematology Consultation Services
Our Centre provides specialist consultation for the treatment of blood disorders and blood cancers. These will include the various types of anaemias, marrow aplasias, coagulation disorders, acute and chronic leukaemias, myelomas, lymphomas and lymphoproliferative disorders.

Haematology Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) Programme
Our Centre supports and coordinates all activities of transplants including classical allogeneic stem cell transplant, non-myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplant, autologous stem cell transplant and umbilical cord blood transplant. Stem cell transplant process.

Outpatient Chemotherapy
Our Centre has a day care facility for our patients to receive outpatient chemotherapy.

Blood Transfusion Services
Transfusion of red blood cells, platelets, plasma and other blood products are available at our Centre for those who need blood transfusion.

Supportive Care Programme
A sophisticated supportive care programme is available to help patients who are convalescing from chemotherapy and stell cell transplant. This will include day care, teaching class on care of central venous catheter, outpatient antibiotic and infusional therapy.

Apheresis Programme
Our apheresis programme includes the collection of stem cells, white cells, platelets and plasma.

Biological and Cellular Therapy
We provide treatment and facility for administration of monoclonal antibody, interferons, growth factors and other specific agents.

Cutting-edge treatments
Besides fairly well-established treatments for haematological disorders, the Centre provides cutting-edge treatments using new applications of stem cell transplant for other life threatening cancers such as advanced pancreatic cancers, renal cell cancers, metastatic colon cancers, ovarian cancers; and blood disorders such as Thalassaemia Major and Sickle cell anaemia.

CONVENIENT & EFFICIENT ARRANGEMENTS FOR INTERNATIONAL PATIENTS
As an international patient seeking treatment in Singapore, you can either make your own arrangements or seek the assistance of an International Patient Centre, such as Parkway Group Healthcare's International Patient Assistance Centre (IPAC). A basic guide is provided here. To know more about Singapore, please visit the nearest Singapore Tourism Board office for information.

Visa and Immigration
Visa applications for entry into Singapore can either be made to the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority or to the nearest Singapore Overseas Missions.

How quickly visas are processed depends on how critical the patient's need for treatment is. The visa processing time for those who require urgent medical attention may vary from that of international patients.

To facilitate visa processing, submit a supporting letter from the Singapore hospital, stating the purpose of the visa application and details of the patient's medical condition, together with basic documents. Should you decide on a hospital/doctor after your arrival, you are required to supply an original copy of Form V39A (Letter of Introduction), completed and signed, issued by a Singapore contact.

Arrival and Departure
As a major air hub in Asia Pacific, Singapore serves more than 60 airlines to over 145 cities through its Changi Airport. Quick and hassle-free clearance for passengers can be expected. There are conveniences such as ramps, elevators, specially-designed toilets and telephones. Please inform the airline crew of any special assistance you may require in Changi Airport, such as, wheelchair services or quick immigration clearance.

Accommodation
Finding accommodation in Singapore is easy. A wide variety of accommodation is available in Singapore to suit a wide range of budgets and needs, starting from budget hostels right up to six-star luxury hotels. For a longer stay and the feel of a home away from home, you can opt for serviced apartments with full facilities to house your family.

Transportation
Getting around in Singapore is convenient, affordable and efficient. You have a choice of limousines, rental cars, buses, taxis, the MRT and Maxicab airport shuttles. Our world class transport network gives you quick access to all parts of the country.