Africa-Press – Botswana. Princess Marina Hospital (PMH) in collaboration with Sidilega Private Hospital has launched bone marrow transplant to aid health response and management of cancer patients and those needing bone marrow services in Botswana
Launching the services of bone marrow transplant services in Gaborone recently, minister of Health, Dr Edwin Dikoloti, hailed the two entities for their dedication to bringing the first ever specialised service, adding that such contributed to achieving high standards and quality of health care services in Botswana.
He said Botswana contends with bone marrow cancers, and were among the top five common cancers in adults and the most common cancer in children in Botswana, highlighting the urgent need for a multi-sectoral and multi-concerted national response.
He said such collaborations between Ministry of Health through PMH and the private sector will not only allow Botswana to achieve the national vision, but also was aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals targets.
Dr Dikoloti commended the two health care facilities for working tirelessly for the realisation of the much needed service, saying that speaks volumes about the power of collaboration.
“To us in government, we value and understand the importance of investing in promotive health interventions for all and ensuring equitable universal access to care, which meets individual health gaps, and can avert any life altering events, such as those related to blood cancers,” said Dr Dikoloti
He said bone marrow transplant was a complex procedure for patients with otherwise incurable chemo and immune-sensitive malignant and non-malignant disorders such as auto-immune diseases.
He noted that the first bone marrow transplant done was in 1939 in the United States and since then, more than 1.5 million stem cell transplants, have been performed world-wide.
He said majority of those marrow transplant were done outside the African continent, adding that through that collaboration, Botswana becomes the second country to offer such treatment to patients in the SADC region. “Indeed this is transformational,” he said, adding that Botswana health care system will never be the same again.
He said before bone marrow transplant services were started in Botswana, patients had to travel as far as India to have access to the life-saving procedure. “Truly this project will significantly reduce medical costs for government which has been referring patients at high cost,” he said, adding that most importantly many families will be able to visit their loved ones in their home country during the difficult time when undergoing the procedure.
Dr Dikoloti said the procedures were therefore, a priority area to Botswana as a country in order to keep some sections of the population healthy and alive.
He pointed out that 21 patients have so far undergone the life-saving procedure at the two partnering health facilities, adding that both hospitals played a crucial role in the success of the project.
He also noted that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) which include blood cancers, were now a leading cause of death globally, affecting 40.5 million people annually, and accounting for more deaths than HIV, TB and malaria combined (WHO, 2016).
PMH’s Deputy Hospital Superintendent, Dr Monkgogi Goepamang said the hospital played a crucial part saying the idea emanated from the fact that they had a number of patients with haematological needs that needed bone marrow transplants.
Dr Goepamang said since there was no such a service in Botswana, they had to send patients outside the country and that during the COVID 19 pandemic, which restricted global movements, a lot of patients could not travel and many lives were not saved.
“Fortunately in 2020, our own Motswana Specialist Doctor, Clinical Haematologist, Dr Elizabeth Botsile, had completed her studies and had been assisting in preparing patients in regard to the transplantation of organs, cells and tissues at PMH, collaborated with Sidilega Private Hospital and the bone marrow facility was borne.
He said since August 2022, they have had 21 patients and 20 cases had been successful, Dr Goepamang hailed the collaboration saying it will go a long way in answering the availability of stem cell transplant facilities world-wide, to try to reduce the disparity.
He also said it was important to collaborate, saying while government was doing a lot to improve treatment for patients with blood cancers, it was also important that the private sector also take part, just as PMH and Sidilega Private Hospitals.
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