Each day is becoming a struggle for his family as he was the sole earning member and has earned next to nothing in the past one year
While Dr Soumen Manna has finally breathed a sigh of relief for receiving Rs 22,28,324 through crowdfunding, he is still figuring out how will his family manage to arrange more money for his bone-marrow transplant. An assistant professor at one of the largest government hospitals of the country, Safdarjung Hospital, Manna has been struggling to gather money for his cancer treatment. Each day is becoming a struggle for his family as he was the sole earning member and has earned next to nothing in the past one year.
In May, the 37-year-old was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which is characterised by a rapid growth of abnormal cells in the blood and bone marrow. The MD in Physiology, an alumnus of AIIMS, was discharged after mild chemotherapy sessions which caused high fever and diarrhoea and lost 14 kg. Doctors advised that he is not fit for strong consolidation chemotherapy. Manna now needs a bone-marrow transplant (BMT) from an unrelated donor, as he is not a match with his brother.
"Not many government hospitals do an unrelated BMT and those that do, including PGI Chandigarh, mostly have a long waiting list. I have been advised to get it done from a private hospital, such as the Tata Memorial in Kolkata, as it is my hometown as well, but the entire treatment will cost over Rs 30 lakh," said Manna.
Soon after hearing the cost of the treatment, Manna started an online appeal on crowdfunding websites and posted on social media about his condition. While he has raised the money needed for his treatment, this raised questions on the public health system of the country.
"If this is the condition of the doctors in the country, think about the common man. I make an appeal to the health minister and the PMO to help this needy doctor, who can save several lives in the future. It is just a matter for taking prompt action from the administrators and prove that doctors are valued in this country," said Vijay Gurjar, a senior resident doctor and friend of Manna, AIIMS.
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