HAPLO STEM CELL TRANSPLANT: SC ISSUES NOTICES

The Supreme Court on Friday issued notices asking the Centre, Rajasthan, a private health facility there and the Medical Council of India to respond to a plea, seeking ban on haploidentical (partially matched) stem cell procedure on thalassemia patients.

The bench of chief Justice Dipak Misra Justice AM Khanwilkar and Justice DY Chandrachud also issued notice to the Manipal Hospital in Rajasthan, facing allegations of performing the procedure without requisite approval, leading to the death of 22 children in nearly two years, said Reepak Kansal, the advocate for petitioner.

“Our writ petition seeks a ban on th stem cell procedure until its efficacy is established on thalassemia patients. At the same time, it also seeks action against the Manipal Hospital where 22 children died in the course of the procedure or soon thereafter,” said Kansal.

Amit Kumar Agarwal, a businessman from Bihar, who lost his 16-year old nephew last December, and eight other parents have moved the SC. He claimed that he spent ~3 crore on the procedure and its subsequent follow-up, lasting 15 months, before his nephew, Krishna Agarwal’s death. Agarwal alleged that his nephew died due to complications arising out of the haploidentical stem cell transplant. He also alleged that the doctor misled him and several other parents, assuring that the procedure had 90%-95% success and would cost only ~25-30 lakh. Dr Satyendra Katewa, who was carrying out the procedure, however, denied all allegations. He said, “Bone marrow transplant does not require any permission as it does not come under the organ transplantation Act.” As for misleading parents of thalassemia children, Dr Katewa had then claimed that he was transparent. “I had told Krishna’s parents that the success rate of the procedure was only 50%-60% as Krishna was a high-risk patient with enlarged spleen and liver and high antibodies,” he added.

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