Auke from the Netherlands first noticed that his right foot caught the ground with every step and that his right arm felt tired every day. Multiple sclerosis was confirmed two years after his first tests in the Netherlands. He recorded this video at HSCT Hospital India in New Delhi a few days before he flew home. In it he thanks the doctors and nurses who looked after him.
Multiple sclerosis, usually shortened to MS, is a condition in which the immune system damages myelin. Myelin is the protective coating around the nerves of the brain and spinal cord. Auke was treated with HSCT, which stands for autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Chemotherapy clears out the immune cells behind the damage. The patient’s own stem cells, collected and stored beforehand, then produce new immune cells.
| Auke from the Netherlands: HSCT for MS at a Glance |
| Patient | Auke travelled to India from the Netherlands. |
| First signs | His right foot caught the ground as he walked, and his right arm tired every day. |
| Diagnosis | Early tests in the Netherlands found nothing, and MS was confirmed two years later. |
| Main problem | MS then affected his eyes, and he had to stop driving. |
| Treatment | He had autologous HSCT for MS at HSCT Hospital India in New Delhi. |
| What he praises | Auke names the daily visits from doctors, the nurses and the help he had in the shower. |
| Package price today | HSCT Hospital India charges 30,000 US dollars, all inclusive, for a stay of up to thirty days. |
How did MS begin for Auke in the Netherlands?
The first changes came on Auke’s right side. They were enough to send him to his doctors in the Netherlands.
"My right leg was touching the ground every step I did, and my right arm was tired every day."
Auke, recorded at HSCT Hospital India
The first tests did not show what was wrong. Two years later, the signs showed multiple sclerosis. His eyesight was affected next, and he calls that the main problem.
"After that my eyes began to do it, and that was the main problem for me because I couldn’t drive anymore."
Auke, recorded at HSCT Hospital India
Once MS has been confirmed, the next questions are about treatment. The hospital brochure explains each stage of HSCT, the thirty day stay in New Delhi and what the single price includes. It is sent to you by email.
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What was care like for Auke at HSCT Hospital India?
Auke talks most about the people around him on the ward. Doctors came to see him almost every day, and he singles out the nurses for their help.
"They are almost every day they come by to ask how it goes and to advise me things to do and it’s it’s all went okay. And the nurses are very good. They’re very good, very nice, and they help you with everything they can."
Auke, recorded at HSCT Hospital India
Those daily visits are part of how the stay is run. After the chemotherapy, a patient’s immunity is at its lowest for several days. For that stretch each patient stays in a deluxe private room with triple level HEPA air filtration. The filters keep dust and germs out of the air, and nurses check on every patient around the clock until the new immune cells start to recover.
Tiredness is common in the days after conditioning, which is the name for the chemotherapy given before the stem cells go back in. During those days nursing staff help with washing and personal care. Auke mentions being helped in the shower.
"When I need somebody, they are ready for me to help. And if it is a doctor or a nurse or a person to help me in the shower, everybody is ready to help me."
Auke, recorded at HSCT Hospital India
You can send your own medical history and recent MRI scans through the online form on the hospital website. HSCT specialist doctors at HSCT Hospital India read them, and an HSCT case manager replies with their opinion at no cost and with no obligation.
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What does Auke expect after going home to the Netherlands?
Auke recorded his message near the end of his stay. He was due to fly back to the Netherlands that Sunday, and he says he was glad to be going home.
"I hope and I expect that it will be better."
Auke, recorded at HSCT Hospital India
Recovery after HSCT continues for months at home while the new immune cells mature. Strength usually returns gradually over that period, helped by neuro physiotherapy, which means exercises guided by a physiotherapist to rebuild movement and balance. The months after discharge are set out in the guide to HSCT recovery time.
Flights, recovery at home and follow up with a neurologist in the Netherlands are easier to plan on a call. An HSCT case manager will phone you at a time that suits you, free of charge.
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How can patients from the Netherlands apply for HSCT?
Dutch patients now have two routes to HSCT. Since December 2022 the Dutch basic insurance has covered HSCT for very active relapsing remitting MS. In that form of MS, symptoms come in attacks and then improve. Entry depends on narrow criteria, including an age range of 18 to 55. Both routes are compared on the HSCT for MS in the Netherlands page.
The route to HSCT Hospital India begins with the online application form. HSCT specialist doctors read the medical records that come with it, and an HSCT case manager plans the stay once the case is accepted. The hospital uses the non-myeloablative protocol developed by Dr Richard Burt. Non-myeloablative means the chemotherapy is milder and does not destroy the bone marrow completely.
More than 1,500 MS patients from over 30 countries have been treated at HSCT Hospital India. Its facilities hold JCI-USA, NABH and NABL accreditation, and there is no long waiting list. One price of 30,000 US dollars covers a stay of up to thirty days, doctors’ fees, tests, consultations and medicines. It also covers food and laundry for the patient and one attendant, and airport pick-up and drop-back.
Three other patients from the Netherlands describe their treatment on their own pages. Johannis, Jose and Linda each travelled from the Netherlands to New Delhi.
Transcript of the video
Auke: My name is [Auke]. I’m from the Netherlands. I went to the hospital for a treatment [for] multiple [sclerosis], the stem cell transplantation.
Auke: My right leg was touching the ground every step I did, and my right arm was tired every day. [That] was for me the sign to go to the doctors in Holland, and they did a test for me. In first it was nothing, they couldn’t see what it was, but after two years it was a sign for multiple [sclerosis]. After that my eyes began to do it, and that was the main problem for me because I couldn’t drive anymore.
Auke: And now I am here. I hope and I expect that it will be better. They are almost every day they come by to ask how it goes and to advise me things to do and it’s it’s all went okay. And the nurses are very good. They’re very good, very nice, and they help you with everything they can.
Auke: After the treatment, I go back to the Netherlands, and that is Sunday, and I’m glad I’m going back. Of course, I want to thank [my doctor and] everybody in this hospital who helped me. When I need somebody, they are ready for me to help. And if it is a doctor or a nurse or a person to help me in the shower, everybody is ready to help me.
People with MS anywhere in the Netherlands can have their case reviewed before deciding on treatment. HSCT specialist doctors at HSCT Hospital India give the opinion, and an HSCT case manager answers you personally, free of charge.
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Read next
The complete guide to HSCT for MSHSCT for MS in the NetherlandsJohannis from the NetherlandsJose from the NetherlandsLinda from the NetherlandsRecovery after HSCT, month by monthHSCT eligibility criteriaMore patient stories from HSCT Hospital India
