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In a first, an Indian doctor in Abu Dhabi performed a paediatric stem cell bone marrow transplant in UAE, the hospital announced. The highly advanced allogeneic procedure was performed on a five-year-old girl from Uganda with sickle cell disease. Dr. Zainul Aabideen, Head of the Department of Paediatric Hematology and Oncology at Burjeel Medical City carried out the procedure.
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, an official statement said.
Sickle cell disease is a genetic disorder, which results in an abnormality in the hemoglobin found in red blood cells, causing them to become sickle-shaped and leading to several complications including anaemia, swelling in the hands and feet, frequent pain, acute chest syndrome, and sometimes stroke.
The five-year-old girl had this disease since birth and had to be regularly admitted to the hospital due to complications. Dr. Aabideen said, "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."
The hospital informed that the patient has responded well to the treatment and will be discharged in a few days after a five-week stay.
Earlier, pediatric patients in the UAE who had to undergo allogeneic stem cell bone marrow transplants travelled to the US, the UK, India, and other European countries. Burjeel Medical City plans to expand its bone marrow transplant capabilities across the region to continue to change the lives of adults and children suffering from chronic and life-altering conditions.