Charitable foundation for treatment of cancer, thalassemia

Barrackpore. Oct 27 (UNI) As it has been becoming difficult for the state-run hospitals in West Bengal to cope up with the growing incidences of dreaded diseases like cancer and thalassemia among poor people, a charitable organisation that has been instituted in the state capital to serve the underprivileged population.

Disclosing this, the architect of the foundation, Dr Suparno Chakrabarti, a young haematologist of the city, who returned from the UK, said the Manashi Chakrabarti Foundation had been instituted after the name of his mother to help children belonging to the poor strata of society suffering from cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

''It is really a concern for us that thousands of children of our country are dying each year from cancer, thalassemia and other related disorders due to lack of proper treatment,'' he told UNI during his brief visit here yesterday.

Dr Suparno Chakrabarti, a consultant haematologist, is known for his work in developing newer transplantation methods such as reduced intensity transplantation, and undertaken research in Stem Cell transplantation at St George's Hospital, London. He has also been working with cord blood stem cells in reduced intensity transplantation, amongst other things.

The foundation has been instituted with the prime objective of developing adequate infrastructure for providing treatment for children with blood disorders at an affordable cost without compromising the quality of care, developing facilities for Stem Cell Transplantation in Eastern India and sponsoring treatment to children affected with these conditions.

It will take care of patients, particularly below 20 years of age and belonging to families earning less than Rs 10,000 per month and lacking adequate insurance cover.

Besides, the foundation has a plan to establish a 'public cord blood bank' to provide alternative source of stem cells for transplantation, Dr Chakrabarti said.

The Foundation is being run by a three-member Trust, headed by Dr Chakrabarti, and Dr Pijush Ray, a consultant stroke physician and geriatrician at the University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire, UK, and Mr Anthony Pearce, Honorary Director General of the Geneva and Brussels-based International Road Federation, are its other members.

The foundation has decided to run its maiden centre for treatment of patients of West Bengal initially at Sanjiban Hospital, being built up at Fuleshwar in Howrah district, Dr Chakrabarti added.

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