Abu Dhabi: An Indian doctor in Abu Dhabi has performed the first paediatric stem cell bone marrow transplant in the UAE, the hospital where it was performed has announced.
The highly advanced allogeneic procedure was successfully carried out on a five-year-old girl from Uganda with sickle cell disease by Dr. Zainul Aabideen, Head of the Department of Paediatric Hematology and Oncology at Burjeel Medical City.
According to a statement released here, the procedure, conducted at the 400-bed multi-specialty hospital’s Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, is the very first paediatric treatment of its kind to be performed in the country.
The patient’s 10-year-old sister donated her bone marrow for the transplant at Burjeel Medical City, a flagship hospital of VPS Healthcare.
“As this was a life-threatening condition, the only curative option was bone marrow transplantation. Before this procedure, the patient suffered a lot. The entire care team here at the hospital and the child’s parents are delighted that the transplant will relieve this pain from her life,” said Dr. Aabideen.
The patient has responded well to the treatment and will be discharged in a few days after a five-week stay at the hospital, which has advanced capabilities in adult and paediatric oncology as well as long-term and palliative care.
Dr. Aabideen, a native of Kannur in Kerala, completed his MBBS from Calicut University and a post-graduate degree in paediatrics from the University of Mumbai. He then moved to the United Kingdom to specialize and undertake further training in paediatric hematology, paediatric oncology, and paediatric bone marrow transplantation.
