BHUBANESWAR: The very successful bone marrow transplant (BMT) facility at SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) in Cuttack seems to be nearing the end of its life due to the liver transplant disaster and a failing kidney transplant unit.

Due to political and administrative indifference, the state-of-the-art hospital, which had the distinction of being the first government-run center in the nation to give free bone marrow transplants, has been struggling to survive for the last several months.

Being the first pediatric allogeneic transplant in the state, the final transplant carried out at the facility in February 2025 was historic in and of itself. Since that time, the life-saving treatment has ceased and the lights have darkened.

Those with knowledge of the situation blamed the unit’s abrupt demise on the state government’s inability to retain doctors and a serious shortage of transplant specialists.

Due to Prof. RK Jena’s contract not being renewed, the unit is essentially non-existent. Jena was the department’s previous leader and continued to serve as the primary BMT physician after retiring.

He was given a four-year contract with an annual renewal by the administration in April of last year. The unit has come to a total halt since there are no other certified BMT experts in the department as a result of Prof. Jena ceasing to attend duty due to the impending renewal.

About 160 patients are battling without proper follow-up treatment after transplantation, while 35 patients—all of whom passed their pre-transplant evaluations—are still languishing in limbo.

Prof. Jena’s departure has inflicted a fatal blow to the unit, which is already beset by a lack of political will and insufficient faculty. The government firing someone who was essential to the operation of such a crucial institution is startling, according to insiders.

Since beginning autologous transplants in April 2014, the unit has performed 180 successful transplants with a good survival rate.

According to sources, there are still openings for professor and associate professor positions in the clinical haematology department. Lack of specialized staff has also caused the study of six DrNB (super specialty) students to halt, which is concerning for the state’s future of haematology training.

The SCB BMT team received national recognition for performing intricate operations at no cost. The center started performing allogeneic transplants in 2021. Patients have received free treatment here from all across the nation, including those sent by reputable hospitals like Vellore, AIIMS, and Tata Memorial. Private hospitals charge more than ~30 lakh for the operation.

However, the facility may deteriorate and thousands of patients may be forced to the edge due to the government’s indifference. TNIE’s calls and texts were not answered by Health Minister Mukesh Mahaling.