DHAKA: The doctors conducted the first-ever bone marrow transplant in Bangladesh at Dhaka Medical College Hospital on Monday.

The Health Minister Mohammed Nasim along with head of the Hematology Department Professor Dr MA Khan and other senior doctors of DMCH came up with the disclosure in a press conference at DMCH.

The transplant is implemented to a 52-year old patient for the very first time in the medical history of Bangladesh.

Professor Dr MA Khan informed media that the success rate would be around 90 percent in this field.

The Health Minister said that there is a consideration to provide the treatment for free of cost to the country people.

DMCH sources said that doctors had started destroying cancer cells of the patients with “high-dose chemotherapy” on Saturday.

In implementing the high-dose chemotherapy process, earlier, doctors collected the healthy stem-cells from the patients’ body to destroy the affected cells.

The doctors of the hospital termed this progress as a milestone in the country.

In bone marrow transplant, doctors replace damaged or destroyed bone marrow, the soft and spongy tissue inside bones with healthy bone marrow stem-cells to treat different types of blood cancer, certain genetic blood and immunity disorders like thalassemia, and severe aplastic anemia.

It is a long cherished dream of DMCH authorities which came true on Monday through this transplant.

However, medical experts opined that this achievement in the field of medical science would contribute in treating the incurable diseases in the country and return the smiles of gratification to many.

BDST: 1915 HRS, MAR 10, 2014