Sulaymaniyah leads in bone marrow transplants despite logistical challenges

Sulaymaniyah leads bone marrow transplantation within both the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, attracting patients from various areas, but the lack of logistical support from both the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) occasionally hinders the treatment process.

Previously, thalassemia patients in Kurdistan relied solely on receiving blood. However, Martyr Shaswari Garmian Hospital in Sulaymaniyah has now emerged as a more significant source of hope, offering comprehensive treatment and the potential for complete recovery for not only thalassemia patients but also those with various other blood diseases.

Bone marrow transplantation is the most effective treatment and often the final cure for many serious diseases, such as thalassemia, several types of leukemia, and some inherited blood diseases.

Dr. Dastan Osman, the director and a specialist at the hospital, told Channel8 that since its opening in 2016, the facility has been a pioneer, being the first in Iraq to perform a bone marrow transplant. It has maintained its position as the foremost facility in Iraq, excelling in both experience and a diverse range of treatment options.

“Sulaymaniyah’s hospital has performed 400 bone marrow transplants. If we are provided with the necessary supplies and medicines, we will greatly increase the number of beneficiaries of this important treatment,” he added.

Previously, those in need of bone marrow transplants had to be sent abroad, which, in addition to the difficulties caused to patients and families due to travel complications abroad, was also expensive for the government.

Dr. Osman said that previously the government had to spend “$57,000 to send each patient abroad for a transplant, but now the cost of a bone marrow transplant in Sulaymaniyah is $10,000, and only in some complicated cases is around $20,000.”

Concerning the hospital’s challenges, Osman said that the issues primarily revolve around logistics, particularly occasional shortages of chemical drugs and equipment for storing and preserving blood components.

He added that if these resources are consistently provided, the hospital is well-prepared to operate, possessing the necessary specialized human resources and technical capabilities.