The Sriram Chandra Bhanja Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) in Cuttack has reached a significant milestone in Odisha’s healthcare by successfully performing an allogenic bone marrow transplant on a two-year-old child.
This marks the first instance of such a procedure being conducted on a pediatric patient in the state.
The Hematology Department of SCBMCH carried out the procedure on February 6, 2025. The young patient, Aliza Naaz from Dhanbad, Jharkhand, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in July 2024 at Tata Memorial Hospital in Jamshedpur. Despite undergoing multiple rounds of chemotherapy, her condition remained critical, necessitating an urgent bone marrow transplant. Her four-year-old sister, Aatifa Naaz, was identified as a perfect match and served as the stem cell donor.
The Odisha government intervened to cover the entire cost of the procedure, which would have otherwise amounted to approximately Rs 40 lakh. The transplant was successfully conducted, and as per the latest reports, both sisters are stable and recovering well.
This achievement not only signifies a major advancement for SCBMCH but also elevates the standard of healthcare services in Odisha, positioning the state as a leading provider of quality medical care in the country.
Notably, SCBMCH has been at the forefront of medical innovations in the region. The hospital performed its first kidney transplant in 2012 and achieved its inaugural liver transplant in April 2024. In January 2024, the institution conducted Odisha’s first haploidentical (half-matched) bone marrow transplant on a 19-year-old patient.
Plans are also underway to initiate heart transplant procedures, with the screening process currently in progress.
These milestones underscore SCBMCH’s commitment to advancing medical care and providing cutting-edge treatments to patients in Odisha and beyond.
