A Mart Holdings organise BMT Aftercare and Safety Awareness programme

Consultant Haemato-Oncologist, Dr Buddhika Somawardana said every year 15,000 to 18,000 individuals are diagnosed for cancer in Sri Lanka and within that 2,000 new patients who need bone marrow (stem cell) transplant (BMT).

“We have a few specialist doctors in the country at present who have obtained advanced training in UK to treat majority of BMT patients under the government’s free healthcare system. We have one doctor at Kandy Hospital and three at Maharagama Apeksha hospital. Six to seven doctors over the years have moved to countries like United Kingdom leaving us with a limited number of doctors to treat such patients,” he further stated.

He said this at the BMT Aftercare and Safety Awareness Programme 2026 organised by A Mart Holdings, held at Grand Monarch hotel that brought together international and Sri Lankan Hemato-Oncology specialists and BMT patients who were cured by the former.

Dr. Somawardana further said blood cancer and BMT are serious conditions than thyroid cancer or breast cancer hence needs swift medical intervention.

“BMT is a complex process which keep the kith and kin of the patient at the receiving end. Diagnosis for BMT alone raise various questions for family members and close associates of the patient and the curing process is strenuous, time consuming and costly when patients are sent abroad for treatment.

When we have limitations in treating these patients such as, scarcity of certain drugs and treatment methods, we are compelled to direct them to foreign hospitals like Manipal Hospital in India through intermediaries like A Mart,” he further stated.

He said subsequent to BMT process, the patients’ immunity is naturally challenged hence ‘After Care’ to keep them from contracting allergies and viral infections which is of utmost importanceis done by Sri Lankan doctors. The patient has to be kept under strict surveillance with constant checkups and follow-up visits for at least two years to keep the cancer cells at bay.

Consultant in Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation, Dr Mallikarjun Kalashetty (India) shed light on the two main types of BMT namely, Autologous Transplant (Self) and Allogeneic Transplant (Donor).

“BMT is not a surgery and the focus on BMT Aftercare, Safety and Lifestyle after BMT is crucial. Aftercare and close monitoring of patients who have undergone BMT at Manipal Hospital is done excellently well by Sri Lankan doctors. They work strenuously to rid the patients of post BMT complications,” he said.

Source : Daily News