The Odisha government has assured the Orissa High Court that the Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Unit at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack will resume operations soon.
The move follows months of inactivity in the haematology department after the retirement of its chief transplant physician in February.
During a hearing on a public interest petition, Health Secretary Aswathy S. informed the court that noted haematologist Dr. Prabodh Kumar Das, formerly with AIIMS, has agreed to guide the BMT unit as an honorary mentor. He will oversee upcoming transplant procedures and train SCB’s existing medical faculty, which includes an associate professor and two assistant professors.
Despite their involvement in past procedures, the current faculty reportedly lacks the confidence to perform transplants independently. The last operation performed at the unit was Odisha’s first paediatric allogeneic transplant, a major milestone before the service was halted.
The government told the division bench of Justices S.K. Sahoo and V. Narasingh that it had instructed the SCB superintendent to coordinate immediately with Dr. Das to facilitate resumption of services.
In a broader move, the state is now working on SOPs to ensure continuity of critical medical services even after key personnel retire. The health department has proposed mandatory mentorship in core departments and institutional tie-ups with national transplant centres for enhanced training and procedural collaboration.
SCB remains the only government facility in Odisha offering free bone marrow transplants, making its swift revival a matter of urgency for public health in the state.
