Mumbai, February 26th, 2021: P.D. Hinduja Hospital & MRC administered Zolgensma – a gene replacement therapy indicated for spinal muscular treatment atrophy (SMA) to 6-month-old patient Teera Kamat earlier today. This complex and new therapy that required a one-time intravenous medical administration was undertaken by Dr. Neelu Desai, Consultant in Paediatric Neurology, at P.D. Hinduja Hospital & MRC, and her team of 5 members in between 10.00am to 11.00am.
P.D. Hinduja Hospital & MRC was the first hospital in the country and the only hospital in Mumbai to be granted permission to administer this treatment since 2019.
The one-time intravenous injection was specially imported with the help and intervention of Dr. Neelu Desai and the Central Government, which arrived in the city yesterday on 25th February 2021. Post the storage refrigeration, this one-time intravenous injection was administered to the 6-month old patient earlier today.
Dr. Neelu Desai, Consultant in Paediatric Neurology, P. D. Hinduja Hospital & MRC said, “SMA is a genetic disorder in which muscle weakness is caused by one defective gene and its normal functions degenerate. Zolgensma is a one-time infusion that is niche and exclusive. There are about 1 in 8,000 children who get affected by this disorder across the world. We undertook the required training and the injection was administered today under my supervision. Baby Teera is doing fine and will be under our observation for a day.”
“P. D. Hinduja Hospital is the only centre in Mumbai and one of the few centres in India licensed to administer this therapy. Due to rarity of the disease and the treatment, the cost of therapy remains high and such patients are provided treatment under compassionate programmes. Even Teera’s parents have also left no stone unturned to give the best for their child. We are all hoping the best for Baby Teera”, Dr. Desai added.
Priyanka and Mihir Kamat, parents of Teera said, “We are thankful to all the staff, doctors and especially Dr. Neelu Desai at P. D. Hinduja Hospital for taking good care of Teera. We are also thankful to Prime Minister’s Office and Chief Minister’s Office (Maharashtra) for the timely intervention and support extended. It has been a very arduous journey for the last 6 months and we thank each one of you who poured their love by donating to give Teera a second shot at life. We pray all such children diagnosed of this disease also get the same love, affection and care that Teera was blessed to receive.”
Teera’s ImpactGuru fundraiser made history in India’s medical crowdfunding industry. This is the first fundraiser launched on an Indian crowdfunding platform that raised INR 14.92 crore record amount for a Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type 1 patient (raised from over 87,000+ donors).
About P. D. Hinduja Hospital & MRC
P.D. Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Center, which started off as a clinic in 1951, is today ranked as one of the leading Multi-Specialty tertiary care hospital in the country. For over six decades, this institute has worked to ensure that world-class healthcare delivery is provided to all. The hospital has always been an early adopter of technology in delivery of care; being amongst the first few hospitals in the country to have the first fully integrated robotics system – the da Vinci Xi Robot, the most advanced technology in gamma knife surgery, the Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion, Digital Broadband MRI with ambient themes, True Beam Linear Accelerator and more. The hospital has on-board some of the best nationally and internationally recognized doctors and were the pioneers in its space to launch Care@Home and Short Stay Service. The hospital is accredited and certified by NABH, CAP, ISO and continues to partner with leading international institutes to establish centres of excellence for research. For its contribution to quality healthcare delivery, the hospital has also been bestowed with Best Multi-Specialty Hospital awards by different industry bodies. In the World’s Best Hospital Survey conducted by Newsweek Magazine in 20202, P.D. Hinduja Hospital was rated number 6 all India and number 1 in western India. In line with one of its guiding principles “Work to Give”, the hospital runs the Serve with Passion rural health programme under which free healthcare services are provided to people in the tribal areas of Maharashtra.
