Clinical Haematology & Stem Cell Transplantation

The Department of Clinical Haematology at Amrita Hospital provides medical expertise for the treatment and prevention of haematological neoplasms in adults and children. 

• Outpatient chemotherapy treatments are offered in a specialized day care unit. 
• Specialized methods of administering chemotherapy, including the use of indwelling catheters and chemo ports. 

Disorders Treated 

• Leukemia; Lymphoma 
• Myeloma 
• Paediatric Haemopoitic disorders including Leukemia/Lymphoma 
• Coagulation disorders 
• Haemophilia 
• Thrombotic disorders 
• Platelet disorders 
• Haemolytic anaemia 
• White cell disorders 
• Haemoglobinopathies 
• Red cell disorders – Anaemia, Polycythemia etc. 

Clinical Haematology OPD Services 

• Consultant driven daily OPD services – Approximately 300-350 patients – both new and follow-up are seen here weekly. Patients with leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma, MPNs, benign haematological conditions like ITP, haemolytic anemia are evaluated and followed up here. 
• For chemotherapy administration there is a coexisting Day Care Centre manned by trained nurses. 
• There is also a daily blood and blood component transfusion area for patients with MDS/ aplastic anemia and those who require regular transfusion supports. 
• Patients are seen daily with appointments and walk-in patient. 

Our Services 

The department is visited by more than 25,000 patients per year. Our 24 x 7 in-hospital specialty services include emergency dialysis facility, cardiac pacing and emergency endoscopy. 

• Haematological Cancer Care 
• Stem Cell Transplantation 
• Haemostasis and thrombosis care 
• General Haematology. 
• Haemoglobinopathies 

Thrombosis Clinic 

• A thrombosis clinic, staffed by faculty and equipped with integrated pathology support, operates twice a week.  
• The clinic provides treatment and follow-up for patients with thrombosis. 

Haemophilia Clinic 

• This multidisciplinary clinic is part of Haematology and is conducted once weekly. The clinic has haematologists, haematopathologists, orthopaedician, physiatrists, physiotherapists, medical social workers, haemophilia nurses and clinical pharmacist. It evaluates, as a team, patients planned for complex haemophilia surgeries. 
• Haemophilia prophylaxis and on demand administration of factors – Done by trained nurses. Factors are provided by the World Federation of Hemophilia. 

Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Clinic 

• Patients undergoing or recovering from BMT are seen by a dedicated BMT team, consisting of faculty, a BMT nurse, and a social worker. 
• Facilities for video consenting and counseling are available as part of the BMT care.  
• The BMT clinic operates three days a week. 

Blood and Marrow Transplantation 

The Blood and Marrow [Stem Cell] Transplantation Program at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences began in January 2013, offering both autologous and allogeneic transplant services. The facility is equipped with 6 beds and features full HEPA filtration. The program is led by Dr. Neeraj Sidharthan and the Blood and Marrow Transplantation Team 

• Full time nursing staff, duty doctors, Medical Social Worker/Counsellor. 
• So far, performed 142 transplants which includes 74 autologous and 68 allogeneic blood and marrow transplants. 

Highlights: Blood and Marrow [Stem Cell] Transplantation Program at AMRITA 

• Performs both pediatric and adult blood and marrow transplants. 
• One of the fastest growing stem cell transplant programs in India. 
• We have performed haploidentical and matched unrelated donor transplants, both of which are First in the State. 
• Performs unrelated donor apheresis and has also setup an exclusive unit for Stem Cell Cryopreservation with liquid Nitrogen (N2). 
• CD34 detection lab facility. 
• Registered with Indian Stem Cell Transplant registry and The Asia Pacific Blood and Marrow Transplantation (APBMT) group. 
• Unrelated donor search in collaboration with DKMS (The German Bone Marrow Donor Center) Germany and DATRI. 
• In-house HLA testing. 
• First successful treatment for acute blood cancer (myeloid leukaemia) in the country through a relatively new treatment protocol named ‘Microtransplant’. 
• First ever Haplo Identical or Half Matched Stem Cell Transplantation in the State. 

Paediatric Haematology Clinic 

Caters to patients from neonatal age group to adolescents with inherited and acquired blood and bone marrow disorders which includes primary immunodeficiency diseases, benign, malignant, autoimmune disorders affecting haematopoietic system. Inherited and acquired cytopenias, thrombophilias and bleeding diathesis are also offered supportive and curative management. 

• Trained team in haematology comprising of consultants, fellows, physician assistants, clinical pharmacists, medical social workers and nurses. 
• In house blood bank provides excellent support with blood and blood components (PRBC, platelets, plasma, cryoprecipitate, granulocytes). 
• Irradiation of blood products is regularly done. 
• Haematopathology and coagulation lab, cytogenetics, molecular biology, flow cytometry labs along with virology and microbiology provide round-the-clock services.  
• State-of-the-art Radiology services are also available 
• Consultative and interventional services to provide patient centered holistic care. 

Haemophilia & Thalassemia Clinic in Aluva General Hospital 

Department of Haematology offer their services free of charge on a regular basis to the Haemophilia & Thalassemia Clinic and Transfusion Centre in Aluva General Hospital. 

Procedures 

• Approximately 8-10 bone marrow examinations are done daily under local anaesthesia. Samples are processed in-house and also sent to outside laboratories for appropriate tests.  
• Patients also undergo bone marrow examination daily under GA. 
• Intrathecal administration of chemotherapy is done daily. 
• All procedures are done by qualified medical doctors under complete aseptic precautions. 

Clinical Pharmacist 

Clinical Pharmacists (CPs) play an important role in educating patients, caregivers, and other health care professionals and managing adverse effects of chemotherapy.  

Our Clinical Pharmacist Services 

• OP consulting for those on maintenance therapy. 
• Review records of patients to determine the appropriateness of medication therapy. 
• Identify untreated health problems and refer patients to appropriate physicians. 
• Evaluate patient’s condition to ensure all issues are being treated. 
• Preparation of chemotherapy protocols and calculation of each patient dose. 
• Patient counselling and taking chemotherapy consent. 
• Oral anti coagulation dose adjustment on the basis of PT/INR values. 
• Develop effective medication plans that minimize the risk of adverse side effects. 
• Handling on-call mobile services and monitoring patient blood counts before and after chemotherapy and managing neutropenic care. 
• Assess the results of pharmaceutical treatments. 
• Collaborate with healthcare professionals to ensure optimal patient care. 
• Keep accurate documentation of medication plans and patient progress. 
• Haemophilia management services – 
• Counselling haemophilia patients regarding home care treatment. 
• Accounting, storage and dispensing of WFH donated Clotting Factor Concentrate for patients registered under AIMS – HTC. 
• Evaluating patient compliance in hemophilia care. 

Medical Social Worker Activities 

Medical Social Worker- Role of Psychosocial Management 

Medical social workers provide support and resources to patients and their families facing medical issues. They collaborate with other healthcare professionals to address social, financial, and psychological problems related to illness.  

Responsibilities 

• Initial screening and evaluation of patient and families. 
• Comprehensive psychosocial assessment of patients. 
• Helping patients/families adjust to hospital admission, possible role changes, exploring emotional/social responses to illness and treatment. 
• Facilitating decision making on behalf of patients and families. 
• Employing crisis intervention. 
• Coordinating patient discharge and continuity of care planning. 
• Educational class taking. 
• Collaborative role with multidisciplinary team. 
• Coordination of stem cell registries donor work up. 
• Manage and coordinate transplant activities with external stem cell registries like Datri, Gene bandhu, Marrow Donor Registry and DKMS. 
• Post-transplant OP coordination. 
• Patients follow up services. 
• Act as a liaison between medical team and patients/caretakers. 

Services offered 

• Psychosocial Counseling Services 
• Patient Education Services 
• Financial Assistance Services 
• Transplant Counseling Services 
• Grief Counseling Services 

OP Number: 0484 – 2853064 
Duty On call: 7994999168 
Clinical Pharmacist: 7994999049 
Medical Social Worker: 7034028036 / 7034028615 
Physician Assistant: 79949999780