Sergel* is a 38 year old man from the Netherlands who was diagnosed with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis in Holland. He flew to New Delhi for HSCT at HSCT Hospital India and recorded this video near the end of his stay. In it he says the treatment went well, and he thanks the doctor who explained each step to him.
Relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis is the most common form of MS. Symptoms come in episodes, called relapses, and then ease for a time. The cause is the immune system attacking myelin, the coating that protects nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord. HSCT, short for autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation, uses chemotherapy to remove the faulty immune cells. The patient’s own stem cells are then returned, and they produce new immune cells.
| Sergel from the Netherlands: HSCT for MS at a Glance |
| Patient | Sergel is a 38 year old man from the Netherlands. |
| Diagnosis | He was diagnosed with relapsing remitting MS in Holland. |
| Before travelling | He was afraid at first, because he had never been to India. |
| What decided it | He read about MS patients the hospital had treated and spoke to another patient from the Netherlands. |
| Travelled with | He came on his own, without an attendant. |
| Treatment | He was treated with autologous HSCT in New Delhi, at HSCT Hospital India. |
| How he feels | He says everything went well and that he is feeling well. |
| Price of the package | The all inclusive price at HSCT Hospital India is 30,000 US dollars for a stay of up to thirty days. |
*Name changed to protect the patient’s privacy.
Why was Sergel unsure about travelling to India for HSCT?
Sergel says he was afraid before he came. India was a country he had never visited, and the treatment meant a month far from home.
"But to be honest with you, I was afraid too because it’s a country I never [been] to. Never."
Sergel, recorded at HSCT Hospital India
Other patients changed his mind. He read about people with MS whom the hospital had already treated, and he spoke with another patient from the Netherlands who had been treated there. Those accounts made him want to see how the treatment would go for him.
"I read about it about my other MS patients they treated and everything went very well and I was curious how things were uh about to go with me too. So that’s why I tried this."
Sergel, recorded at HSCT Hospital India
Patients from the Netherlands often begin by reading about the stay before they apply. The hospital brochure describes the four stages of HSCT, the room and the price, and it is emailed to you.
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What was the hospital stay like for Sergel, who travelled alone?
Sergel made the trip without an attendant, although the package covers one. He says the staff treated him so well that he never felt on his own.
"It felt like family. I’m alone here, but I was not feeling alone. They like family for me."
Sergel, recorded at HSCT Hospital India
Every patient on the unit has a deluxe private room, and each room has triple level HEPA air filtration. These filters clean the air of dust and germs during the days after chemotherapy, when the body has very few white blood cells to fight infection. Nurses are on the ward 24 hours a day.
You can send your diagnosis and recent medical reports through the online form. The HSCT specialist doctors at HSCT Hospital India review them, and an HSCT case manager writes back with their opinion, free and with no obligation.
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How does Sergel describe the result of his HSCT?
At the end of his stay Sergel says the treatment went well and that he feels well. He gives the credit to his doctor, who told him in advance what would happen at each stage.
"I came to India hospital and it was amazing. It was amazing. I’m feeling well, feeling great and all thanks because of doctor because he explained everything to me and everything he said was the exact thing what happened to me."
Sergel, recorded at HSCT Hospital India
Those explanations follow the four stages of the treatment. Mobilisation uses medicine to move stem cells from the bone marrow into the bloodstream. Harvest by leukapheresis then collects them with a machine, a process similar to giving blood. Conditioning is the chemotherapy that removes the immune cells behind MS, and reinfusion returns the stored stem cells to the patient.
Recovery goes on at home for several months after discharge. During that time the new immune cells mature and energy usually returns gradually, supported by neuro physiotherapy exercises. A month by month account is in the guide to HSCT recovery time.
Questions about flying home, follow up with a Dutch neurologist or travelling without an attendant are quicker to answer by phone. An HSCT case manager will call you at a time you choose, free of charge.
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How can patients from the Netherlands apply for HSCT in India?
Dutch basic insurance has paid for HSCT since December 2022, but only for very active relapsing remitting MS. The criteria are strict and include an upper age limit of 55, so many Dutch patients also look at treatment abroad. Both options are compared in HSCT for MS in the Netherlands.
An application to HSCT Hospital India starts with the online enquiry form. The HSCT specialist doctors study the medical records sent with it, and once a case is accepted an HSCT case manager organises the dates and travel. Treatment follows the non-myeloablative protocol of Dr Richard Burt. Non-myeloablative means the chemotherapy is lighter and leaves the bone marrow able to recover.
HSCT Hospital India has treated more than 1,500 MS patients from over 30 countries, in facilities accredited by JCI-USA, NABH and NABL, and there is no long waiting list. The package costs 30,000 US dollars. It covers up to thirty days in hospital, doctors’ fees, tests, consultations and medicines. Food and laundry for the patient and one attendant are included, as are airport pick-up and drop-back.
Four other patients from the Netherlands have shared their treatment in New Delhi: Auke, Johannis, Jose and Linda.
Transcript of the video
Sergel: Hello, my name is [Sergel]. I’m from Holland. Um, I came to India. I find out that India have a good treatment for MS. So, I tried it out and I’m glad.
Sergel: But to be honest with you, I was afraid too because it’s a country I never [been] to. Never. But I I’m excited right now because I did everything and everything went well and and the people at hospital treat me so well. It felt like family. I’m alone here, but I was not feeling alone. They like family for me.
Sergel: And um I came to find out about the treatment at hospital that they uh treated MS. I read about it about my other MS patients they treated and everything went very well and I was curious how things were uh about to go with me too. So that’s why I tried this.
Sergel: I came to India hospital and it was amazing. It was amazing. I’m feeling well, feeling great and all thanks because of doctor because he explained everything to me and everything he said was the exact thing what happened to me. Thank you.
Anyone in the Netherlands living with MS can ask for their medical records to be reviewed before choosing a treatment. The opinion comes from the HSCT specialist doctors at HSCT Hospital India, and an HSCT case manager sends it to you personally, free of charge.
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Read next
The complete guide to HSCT for MSHSCT for MS in the NetherlandsAuke from the NetherlandsJohannis from the NetherlandsJose from the NetherlandsLinda from the NetherlandsRecovery after HSCT, month by monthMore patient stories from HSCT Hospital India
