KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 — Approximately 3,967 stem cell/bone marrow transplant (SCT/BMT) procedures have been carried out in four Health Ministry (MOH) hospitals in the past 25 years, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
The Ampang Hospital has carried out 3,259 SCT/BMT cases, with a ratio of nearly 200 cases per year.
“The Penang Hospital has conducted 384 cases whereas the Sultanah Aminah Hospital (HSA) in Johor Bahru, Johor (260 cases) and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital 1 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah (64 cases),” he said during a press conference after officiating the MOH SCT/BMT Services Silver Jubilee Celebration at the Ampang Hospital today.
Meanwhile, the Sarawak General Hospital in Kuching is expected to begin these services in March, next year and will be the fifth hospital offering the SCT/BMT procedures, followed by the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital in Kuantan, Pahang, which will set up an SCT/BMT centre.
"These services at the Sarawak General Hospital will commence no later than the first quarter of 2025 or in March. We have four or five specialists there along with nurses who have 'whole basic training' expertise in haematology," Dr Dzulkefly said.
The ministry has estimated the market price for the treatment, which now has reached RM120,000 to RM300,000, but the MOH has set the treatment cost to remain low at RM20,000 to RM80,000.
"For regular patients, a fee of RM500 is charged, while for the elderly, it is only RM250 depending on the patient's case complexity,” he said, adding that it is the commitment to 'sustainable' and 'equitable care' so everyone can have access to the SCT/BMT procedure.
Meanwhile, the MOH will also increase the number of trained haematologists throughout Malaysia to 50 by next year.
"There are about 10 people who can do this cell transplant procedure. In the Ampang Hospital alone, we have four specialists and others are in the Penang Hospital and the Sultanah Aminah Hospital," Dr Dzulkefly said.
— Bernama
