Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here, Vyas said the state government decided to set up the institute after witnessing sharp rise in the number of sickle cell anaemia patients in south Gujarat, mainly in tribal areas.
He said that most of the patients do not have access to quality treatment at present which prompted the government to set up the state of the art institute in Surat.
The institute to be developed at New Civil Hospital, a government hospital at Surat, will provide treatment to patients suffering from deadly diseases.
It will be the first government hospital in the state to have such an advanced stem cell institute, he claimed.
Stem cell treatment, also known as gene therapy, is a process where new cells are created with the help of primitive cells collected from the patient's body.
New cells are placed inside the patient's body, which doubles the speed of recovery. The treatment gives cent percent result and is widely accepted in medical fraternity.
Apart from sickle cell anaemia, stem cell treatment can help patients suffering from blood cancer, thalassemia, diabetes, kidney and heart disease, Vyas said.
