Sri Lanka launches Stem Cell Donor Registry

The National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) of Sri Lanka last Friday (14) launched the Sri Lanka Stem Cell Donor Registry (SLSCDR), a first in Sri Lanka, used to find a suitable voluntary stem cell donor for patients.

Health Secretary Dr. Palitha Mahipala told the Daily News that stem cell transplantation is a procedure that infuses healthy blood-forming stem cells into the body of patients with leukaemia or other types of blood disorders. This treatment enhances the quality of life of these patients. The launching of the SLSCDR is a great achievement for the country’s healthcare sector.

Dr. Mahipala further said that Sri Lanka is one of 70 countries in the world that currently has blood supply systems that rely entirely on voluntary non-remunerated donations. We achieved this target in 2014, he said.

World Blood Donor Day is celebrated on June 14 every year. Sri Lanka celebrated that day by organising various events under the theme ‘Let’s raise our feet to save lives’.

The national ceremony to celebrate the day was held on Friday (14) at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre under the patronage of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and Health and Industries Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana.

The Health Secretary also pointed out that bone marrow transplants are carried out at Apeksha Hospital and Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Colombo, and another unit was established in Jaffna recently. Necessary arrangements have already been made to establish a bone marrow transplant unit in the Kandy National Hospital soon.

Meanwhile, specialist in Hematologic Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation at the National Cancer Institute, Maharagama, Dr. Buddhika Somawardana said that a significant number of patients in our country who need allogeneic stem cell transplants are unable to access this life-saving treatment primarily due to the shortage of medical resources and trained personnel in government hospitals to perform these procedures effectively.

Additionally, many patients face the financial burden of covering the high costs associated with such treatments in private hospitals or overseas, compounded by the lack of a genetically compatible donor within their families, he said.

“When a family member is not a genetic match, it is crucial to have a database of volunteers with the relevant genetic information willing to donate stem cells. Until now, our country lacked such a vital resource, Dr. Somawardana said.

“We extend our deepest gratitude and respect to all those who worked tirelessly and selflessly to bring this initiative to fruition. You can register as a stem cell donor and learn more about this effort at www.nbts.health.gov.lk,” he said.

“The people of Sri Lanka are known for their incredible generosity, and their blood and platelet donations save thousands of lives every day. Our country is one of only three in South Asia that maintains its blood transfusion service entirely through voluntary donations. The Sri Lanka Stem Cell Donor Registry is an exceptional opportunity to make your generosity even more impactful and beneficial for our nation,” Dr. Somawardana added.

According to the sources of National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS), stem cell or bone marrow transplantation is the ideal treatment for some diseases such as blood cancers, aplastic anaemia and thalassaemia. Even though there are several medical treatments available, they often do not provide a permanent cure. Therefore, by becoming a stem cell donor, you can bring a ray of hope to a patient in need, potentially giving them a second chance at life.

Only about 30 percent of the patients in need of a stem cell transplant as the life-saving treatment are able to find a matched family donor for stem cell transplantation and the remaining 70 percent must find a matching donor outside of their family. Transplants have to be abandoned due to the lack of donors or inability to find donors in a timely manner. With a Stem Cell Donor Registry, the NBTS can quickly identify a Matched Unrelated Donor (MUD) for the patients who do not have matched family donors.

Stem cell collection can be done in two ways and stem cells are most often harvested in a method similar to platelet collection by connecting to a specialized machine after a course of injections. Very rarely, stem cells are harvested from the red bone marrow of the hip bone under anaesthesia.

Healthy individuals who fulfil the following basic requirements have the opportunity to donate stem cells: they should be between the ages 18 to 45 and also be healthy and fulfil the relevant medical requirements.

The body weight should be 50 kg or above and the haemoglobin level should be above 12.5 g/dL. They should also not have high-risk sexual behaviours.

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