Addressing India’s Stem Cell Donor Shortage
Written by Susi, Arushi Sharma
India is currently grappling with a severe shortage of stem cell donors, posing a considerable challenge for patients in need of life-saving transplants. This shortage has led to prolonged waiting times and, in some cases, even life-threatening situations for those seeking stem cell treatments.
In honor of World Marrow Donor Day, DKMS BMST Foundation India and Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital collaborated to address a critical issue in Indian healthcare: the scarcity of compatible stem cell donors for blood cancer patients.
They celebrated three life-saving donors during the event: Samarth, Pranjal, and Shashank. To tackle this shortfall, India urgently requires more public and medical community awareness and assistance.
Indians make up 0.04 percent of potential unrelated stem cell donors globally. Those aged 18-55 and in good health can register as a blood stem cell donor at www.dkms-bmst.org/register in just five minutes.
Dr Santanu Sen, Consultant in Pediatric Hematology, Oncology, and Stem Cell Transplantation at Kokilaben Hospital, said,
“In India, every five minutes, someone is diagnosed with blood cancer or related disorders. A successful stem cell transplant requires an HLA-matched donor, and for most patients, this donor is not within their family. This leads to extensive searches, often without success. To bridge this gap, we need more ethnically diverse donors in the DKMS-BMST registry.”
Patrick Paul, CEO of DKMS BMST Foundation India, said,
“There is a demand-supply gap for stem cell donors in India. We must emphasize the importance of expanding the donor database to connect patients with potential lifesavers. Over 13,000 individuals have joined the DKMS-BMST stem cell registry in Maharashtra, with more than 90,000 registrants nationwide. Our organization aims to register even more donors to provide more patients a second chance at life.”
Dr Santosh Shetty, CEO, Kokilaben Hospital, said,
“We take immense pride in our partnership with DKMS-BMST to raise awareness about the significance of stem cell transplantation in combating blood cancer and disorders in India. Our success in changing lives through accessible stem cell therapy, particularly for thalassemia patients, is truly remarkable.”
Maharashtra’s Director General of Police (DGP), Rajnish Seth, urged community support for organizations like DKMS-BMST, highlighting the life-saving impact of blood stem cell donation.
Samarth, a 26-year-old donor from Mumbai, expressed his satisfaction with the smooth donation process and eagerly anticipates meeting the person whose life he saved.