Stem Cell Transplants Rise Under Aarogyasri

Hyderabad: According to the Telangana Cancer Atlas study presented by cancer expert Dr Nori Dattatreyudu, on May 28, World Blood Cancer Day, it is observed that treatment and stem cell transplant procedures under the Aarogyasri scheme have increased steadily in Telangana over the last five years; This reflects both increased patient access and increased healthcare expenditures.

Analyzing treatment trends between April 2020 and September 2025, the report showed that allogeneic and autologous stem cell transplant procedures accounted for the highest spending under the program.

Among the most expensive procedures, allogeneic stem cell transplantation recorded an expenditure of ₹11 billion, followed by autologous transplantation recording an expenditure of ₹6.97 billion. While follow-up and vaccination packages incurred relatively low costs, the transplant procedures themselves required large financial resources.

The data also revealed that autologous stem cell transplantation recorded the highest number of claims at 173, while allogeneic follow-up packages recorded 156 claims.

The number of patients receiving stem cell transplantation has increased significantly over the years. The number of patients treated increased from about 14 in 2020-21 to about 94 in 2024-25, while expenses increased from ₹0.76 crore to ₹4.88 crore in the same period, the report said.