Stem cell donor registration

Aster CMI Hospital has launched a stem cell donor registration campaign, inviting the public to register. In addition to all Aster registering as donors, the public can also sign up and help those having blood cancer and other blood-related disorders.

The campaign is launched in conjunction with DATRI, a stem cell registry. The hospital said only 2,000 stem cell transplants take place in the country, a fraction of 80,000 and 1,00,000 required to tackle blood cancer and fatal blood disorders.

As part of the campaign, Aster CMI would dispel myths around stem cell donation that make many people reluctant to register. “There’s a need to increase awareness and encourage more people to register as blood stem cell donors,” Dr Vijay Agarwal, consultant, Medical Oncology and Hematology, Aster CMI Hospital said.

He also pointed to a lack of awareness and misinformation about stem cell donation. “A simple swab of the insides of your cheeks is all that is needed to determine your HLA characteristics,” he said.