Children below the age of 14 years, suffering from either of the three blood cancers which are curable, are being provided free-of-cost treatment by a leading hospital in the city.
Bhagwan Mahaveer Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (BMCHRC), under its flagship welfare programme, provided free treatment to 38 children suffering from blood cancer between August 2014 and September 30, 2015, the hospital's Director (Clinical Services) Dr Srigopal Kabra said.
The children were either suffering from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Low Risk (ALL), Acute Promylocytic Leukemia Low Risk (APML) or Hodgkin Lymphoma (HD).
"Out of the 38 children, 21 are now cancer free, while the remaining nine are undergoing treatment," Kabra claimed.
The cancer specialty hospital spent Rs. 62.70 lakh, generated through donations and other funds, on these children, Kabra said.
The hospital also spent Rs. 6.46 crore to provide free treatment to people under Below Poverty Line (BPL) and poor patients in financial year 2014-15, he said quoting BMHRC's annual statistics report.
"Altogether 24,759 cancer patients in OPD (Outpatient Department), and 27,174 patients in IPD (Inpatients Department) were given free treatment in the stipulated year," Kabra said.
Patients suffering from Chronic Myeloid Leukemia are also being provided free treatment under another scheme, he added.
