Establishment of the First Comprehensive Adult and Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Unit in the United

Humaid O Al-Shamsi1,2,3, Amin Abyad1, Panayotis Kaloyannidis4

  • 1Department of Oncology and Innovation and Research Center, Burjeel Cancer Institute, Burjeel Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Clinics and Practice
|February 24, 2022
PubMed

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is increasingly indicated for various malignant and non-malignant diseases. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), patients that could benefit from the procedure commonly need to seek medical care abroad in view of the lack of a comprehensive HSCT facility that could offer the full spectrum of interventions and monitoring protocols. This comes with considerable challenges related to coverage and logistics of travel. It also limits the continuity of clinical care, and presents inconvenience to patients who come from a different cultural background. In this article, we share our experiences and lessons learned during the establishment of the first comprehensive adult and pediatric HSCT unit in the UAE that is designed to cater for local citizens and residents, as well as neighboring countries facing similar availability challenges.

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