Q: My cousin brother aged 11 years is affected by severe aplastic anaemia. His platelet (thrombocyte) count has gone down. He had been affected by jaundice 7-10 months ago, which must have lead him to the destruction of his bone marrow tissues. Is bone marrow transplant (BMT) necessary, can we cure this without BMT? Is BMT successful for patients affected by aplastic anaemia? Is it possible to do BMT in India? Where is it done in India? How much risk does it involve?

A:Among the main centres offering BMT are the CMC Hospital, Vellore, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi and Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. Perhaps the longest experience with nonmalignant disorders is with CMC, Vellore while for malignant diseases it is Tata Memorial Hospital. The cost would range from institution to institution and I would advise you to get in touch with Dr. Mammen Chandy, Head Department of Hematology, CMC, Vellore, Tamil Nadu for further details.