Omani girl undergoes bone marrow transplant in Bangalore

The child named Mariam Bint Abu Ahmad who needed an urgent surgery even had a donor in her eight-year-old brother Abdullah, but her family was scouting for the right place to take her to for the treatment.

After much analysis and search, the family that was looking for an advanced centre and facilities for the surgery of the child opted for the Narayana Hrudayalaya Multi Specialty Hospital and Mazumdar Shaw Cancer Centre in Bangalore, a Gulf News report said.

"We do not mind the travel because we will go to any lengths to save our daughter," said Mariam's father Abu Ahmad, a government employee in Oman.

The bone marrow transplant was finally performed at the hospital recently and the report said that Mariam has now been moved to a ward.

The government of Oman bore the entire cost of the treatment which came around to USD 23,270 or 9,000 Omani riyals, Ahmad said.

Dr Sharat Damodar, Consultant Haematologist at the hospital, said the transplant was successful and the child would grow up normally.

"It will help the child to lead a completely normal life," he was quoted as saying by the paper.