Oman seeks funds for BMT (bone marrow transplant) unit expansion:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The Sultan Qaboos University Hospital (SQUH) in Oman is requesting funds to finance its expansion after a dramatic increase in the number of patients in need of bone marrow transplant (BMT) operations. Expansion is urgently needed, SQUH claims, because at present patients suffering from thalassaemia must wait up to three years for a transplant. The department of haematology at the university has recently carried out its 50th BMT operation and has recorded results "comparable with the best bone marrow transplant centres in the West at a fraction of the cost", reports the Oman Daily Observer. The cost of BMT in the UK and US ranges from OR60,000-100,000 ($156,000-260,000). In Oman, it is only OR20,000, including the cost of follow-up treatment for two years after the operation.