Victor Halls from the United Kingdom was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2000. He spent years looking for a treatment before he applied to HSCT Hospital India through its website. He recorded this video as his stay in New Delhi came to an end, and he says he would not feel as good as he does without the hospital.
Multiple sclerosis, or MS, is a condition in which the immune system damages myelin, the insulating layer around nerves in the brain and spinal cord. HSCT stands for autologous haematopoietic stem cell transplantation. In this treatment, chemotherapy removes the immune cells that drive MS, and the patient’s own stored stem cells then produce new immune cells. Victor had this treatment at HSCT Hospital India before flying home to England.
| Victor from the UK: HSCT for MS at a Glance |
| Patient | Victor Halls lives in England, in the United Kingdom. |
| Condition | Victor received his multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2000. |
| How he applied | His application went in through the online form on the hospital website. |
| Treatment | Victor was treated with autologous HSCT in New Delhi at HSCT Hospital India. |
| What he praises | Victor names the doctors, the nursing staff, the cleanliness of the ward and the food. |
| Recorded | The video was recorded at the hospital shortly before he left for home. |
| Package price today | The treatment is priced at 30,000 US dollars, all inclusive, for a hospital stay of up to thirty days. |
Living with MS since 2000 and searching for HSCT
Victor had lived with MS for many years by the time he reached India. Over those years he kept looking for a treatment that could help him. He read about HSCT, looked into it, and then found a hospital website that offers it.
His next step was the online application form. Every patient at HSCT Hospital India starts the same way. HSCT specialist doctors read the form and the medical records sent with it, and an HSCT case manager replies with their initial opinion. A full medical evaluation in New Delhi then confirms whether HSCT is suitable before any treatment begins. The criteria the doctors use are listed on the HSCT eligibility criteria page.
Victor began by reading about HSCT in his own time. The hospital brochure gives you that same starting point by email. It sets out the treatment stages, the thirty day stay in New Delhi and what the single price covers.
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Care on the ward at HSCT Hospital India, in Victor’s words
Victor talks first about the people. He describes his welcome on arrival and the help he had from doctors and nurses throughout his stay.
"When I got here, the people were lovely. They greeted me very nice. All the doctors are fantastic. The nursing staff is fantastic. Anything that you need, they’re there to help you."
Victor Halls, recorded at HSCT Hospital India
He also notices how often the ward is cleaned, two to three times a day. Hygiene protects patients during HSCT. After the conditioning chemotherapy, the immune system is at its lowest for several days. For that reason each patient stays in a deluxe private room with triple level HEPA air filtration, which takes dust and germs out of the air. Nurses monitor every patient around the clock until the new immune cells begin to recover.
"The place is clean and tidy. It gets cleaned two to three times a day. If you’ve got any questions about anything, they know about everything. The food is fantastic."
Victor Halls, recorded at HSCT Hospital India
The food Victor praises is part of the package. Meals and laundry are included for the patient and for one attendant, along with the hospital stay, doctors’ fees, tests, medicines and airport transfers. The full list of inclusions sits on the HSCT cost by country page.
Victor applied with the online form, and so can you. HSCT specialist doctors at HSCT Hospital India look at your medical history and recent MRI scans. An HSCT case manager then writes back with their opinion, free of charge and without obligation.
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Going home to England after HSCT
Before he left, Victor wrote a message of thanks to the hospital, signed by Victor and Allison. In it he expects his recovery to take effort, and he says he is ready for it.
"Thanks to this fantastic HSCT team of doctors and nurses at HSCT Hospital India who has treated me for my MS and put a stop to it. I am going to be able to get my life back. I know that it’s going to be a hard work but I am ready for the fight. I’m back baby, watch me."
Victor Halls, written message to HSCT Hospital India
Recovery after HSCT continues for months once a patient is home. The new immune system matures over that time. Strength and stamina tend to return gradually across that time, with regular neuro physiotherapy, meaning exercise guided by a physiotherapist to rebuild movement. Those months are described step by step in the guide to HSCT recovery time.
Questions about travel, recovery at home and follow up in the UK are answered faster by phone. An HSCT case manager will call you at a time you choose, with no charge for the call.
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Friends in England waiting to hear how Victor gets on
Victor had already told friends about HSCT Hospital India before his own treatment. One of them came for treatment the year before. Other friends in England want to come too, and Victor says they are waiting to see how he does once he is back.
Patients from the UK follow the same route Victor took. The online application comes first, then a free review by HSCT specialist doctors, then an HSCT case manager who plans the trip with the patient. HSCT Hospital India has treated more than 1,500 people with MS from more than 30 countries. Its facilities hold JCI-USA accreditation from the Joint Commission International, along with NABH and NABL, the Indian national boards for hospitals and laboratories. There is no long waiting list.
The choices open to UK patients, including the NHS route, are compared on the HSCT for MS in the UK page. Two other patients from the UK, Margaret and Gary, describe their own treatment on their pages.
Transcript of the video
Victor: Hello, my name is Victor Halls. I’ve had MS for… I got diagnosed in 2000, and over the years I’ve been looking for a treatment to help me. I’ve heard of HSCT and been looking into it. Then I found [the] website that does HSCT. I filled out the form and applied to come to here.
Victor: When I got here, the people were lovely. They greeted me very nice. All the doctors, all the rest of the doctors are fantastic. The nursing staff is fantastic. Anything that you need, they’re there to help you. The place is clean and tidy. It gets cleaned two to three times a day. Everyone is there to help you, all the nurses. If you’ve got any questions about anything, their knowledge… they know about everything.
Victor: The food is fantastic. The food is like, it’s just wow, you know, it’s so much. I’ve told friends of mine, and one of them came last year, Jack Sullivan. When I go back to England, I’ve got friends that wish to come to [unclear] to do HSCT, but they’re just waiting for me to come back to see how I get on.
Victor: And all I’ve got to say is this place is fantastic. I will not feel as good as I do today if it hadn’t been for [the] hospital. Thank you.
People with MS in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can ask for their own case to be reviewed before they decide anything. HSCT specialist doctors at HSCT Hospital India give the opinion, and an HSCT case manager replies personally at no cost.
Get Free Expert Opinion Now
Read next
HSCT for MS reviews from 15 patients: results, care and costThe complete guide to HSCT for MSHSCT for MS in the UKMargaret from the UKSu from the UKGary from the UK, primary progressive MSA UK patient treated at 36Recovery after HSCT, month by monthHSCT eligibility criteriaMore patient stories from HSCT Hospital India
