BMT Home
The Bone Marrow Transplantation program for Sri Lanka, initiated in 2013, will ensure the establishment and ongoing operation of a Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit (BMTU) and a Stem Cell Donor Registry (SLSCDR) attached to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), also known as Apeksha Hospital located in Maharagama, Sri Lanka. It will also include introduction of modern blood testing procedures relating to BMT, through the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS). The Haematology unit of St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney has offered to foster training, mentorship and professional development for this project. The aim is to make Sri Lanka self-sufficient in stem cell transplantation over a five year period. (read more..)
What is BMT?
BMT (Bone Marrow Transplantation), also commonly known as, HSCT (Haemopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation) is a procedure used to treat a number of blood and immune conditions. The procedure requires chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy (conditioning) to be delivered to a patient in order to destroy abnormal or malignant blood cells. Following conditioning, a patient is rescued by infusion of bone marrow stem cells which repopulate a new bone marrow. Bone marrow is the soft, fatty tissue inside your bones. Stem cells are immature cells in the bone marrow that give rise to all of your blood cells.(read more..)
Why BMT for Sri Lanka?
Currently, many patients needing BMT and allied services are compelled to go overseas primarily to India and Singapore incurring very high costs. These costs are due to many factors, such as travel and accommodation for the patient as well as for donors & carers, over and above the net cost of the treatment. Thus a BMT is not affordable for the average Sri Lankan. Establishment of a BMT unit will provide due care including the low income patients who cannot afford to seek overseas options. (read more..)
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By Registering to be a Stem Cell Donor (subject to physical and clinical requirements)
If you are in Sri Lanka you can register your interest by emailing to slscdregistry@gmail.com or through Contact Us, so we can get in touch with you as soon as possible.
If you are in a country that has a Bone Marrow Donor Registry (eg: ABMDR in Australia) please contact your registry or the Red Cross closest to you.
For more information on Bone Marrow (Stem Cell) donation:
Once Sri Lanka Stem Cell Donor Registry (SLSCDR) becomes a member of the World Marrow Donor Registry (WMDA),
Sri Lankans will gain access to the donors worldwide and vice versa. Statistics have shown that for a patient looking for an unrelated donor, there can be a matching donor for every 10,000 donors. So, please join the Sri Lanka stem cell donor registry and help save the lives of patients in need.
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You can listen (In English) to our experts from the BMT unit and Blood bank of National Cancer Institute (Apeksha Hospital)....
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Latest News... June, 2024
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Sri Lanka launches Stem Cell Donor Registry (SLSCDR) – A first for the country
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BMT Program for Sri Lanka has achieved a long-awaited milestone of setting up a Stem Cell Donor Registry of its own. This will allow patients with blood disorders access to a database of generous volunteers willing to donate stem cells, giving them a second chance at life.
BMT Unit of Apeksha Hospital at Maharagama has successfully completed nearly 250 Autologous transplants (using patient’s own blood stem cells), 100% free of charge for the patients.
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| For More Information: Daily News paper article on 18th June 2024 (in English) |
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| Press conference on 13/06/2024 |
Dasatha News - Interview with Dr. Lakmali Morawaka - Apeksha Hospital |
First stem cell transplant at Jaffna Teaching Hospital
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| BMT team at Jaffna Teaching Hospital with the first autologous stem cell transplant receipient - 25th June 2024 |
Any generous donors who wish to support this newly-opened BMT Unit, may send their contributions to:
Jaffna General Hospital Development Association; Commercial Bank – Jaffna; Account Number: 1060012154 |
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BMT Sri Lanka celebrates the 50th Bone Marrow Transplant at National Cancer Institute -7 February 2019
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| The BMT Team with Dr. Sam Milliken, Head of the Heamatology Department, St. Vincent's hospital, Sydney and the recipients of BMT. |
For More Information - Daily News paper articles (in English):
Allogeneic bone marrow transplants in Sri Lanka this year - February 11, 2019
A milestone in cancer cure - February 21, 2019 |
| Ada Derana TV News (Video in Sinhala): 15th February 2019 7th February 2019 |
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The first BMT patient at the celebration to mark the completion of one year with Dr. Prasad Abeysinghe and Ms Deepthika Kumari |
(The Island - December 28, 2017) |
Chrisanthi Vitharana (Dinamina - July 19, 2017) |
- Chrisanthi Vitharana (DailyNews - July 19, 2017) |
Another life-saving medical chapter takes its first steps.....
Soon patients in need of bone marrow transplantation will be able to seek treatment at a local state hospital...
- Smriti Daniel (Sunday Times - November 6, 2016)
Aubowewa - A Documentary on the first Bone Marrow Transplant at National Cancer Institute, Maharagama.
- Achini Wijesinghe (Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation - November 11, 2016)
For Richer or Poorer.....
More than two years ago, Associate Professor Moore, Professor Ma and the transplant team embarked on a journey to bring stem cell transplant technology to Sri Lanka; making this life-saving procedure accessible to all Sri Lankans, no matter what their means. The expertise, training and support they brought to Sri Lanka has proven invaluable. Life Support Blog - Prof. David Ma (St. Vincent's Hospital, Sydney-January 2017) |
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Press Conference held at the Ministry of Health, Colombo. For more details (in Sinhalese): Lanka CNews - October 29, 2016
Left to Right: Professor David Ma(Department of Haematology and BM transplantation, St Vincent's Hospital Sydney), Dr. R R M L R Siyambalagoda ( Acting Director General, Health Services), Dr. Wilfred Kumarasiri (Director, Apeksha Hospital, Maharagama), Dr. Prasad Abeysinghe (Consultant, Onclologist & BMT Team Leader, Apeksha Hospital, Maharagama).