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Cord blood rates double for expats

DUBAI — The Department of Health and Medical Services has announced the fee structure for its newly-opened Dubai Cord Blood and Research Centre (DCRC).

Located at Al Wasl Hospital, the first of its kind in the region, the DCRC has been established at a cost of Dh17.5 million.

As announced by the Chairman, Board of Council of Dohms Abdullah Saeed Al Kindi, the fee structure and services stand different for UAE nationals and expatriates.

Charges also vary for the donations made in Al Wasl Hospital and the hospitals that fall within Dohms, and government and private hospitals all over the country.

In the first category (within Dohms), the fee structure for locals is Dh2,500 while unrelated cord blood donation is free of charge. For expatriates the fee is Dh5,000 and unrelated cord blood donation is also free of charge.

In the second category (outside Dohms), related cord blood donation for UAE nationals is Dh3,000 and unrelated cord blood donation is free of charge. For the expatriates, the fees is Dh6,000 and unrelated cord blood donation is also free of charge.

The services offered by the DCRC include collection, processing and preservation of a cord blood unit (CBU) in liquid nitrogen for 15-20 years, shipment of CBU to the transplant centres, laboratory tests include: molecular HLA typing class 1&2, infectious markers, ABO/RH, HB electrophoresis, blood culture, CD34, CFU assay and total nucleated RBCs. Already five UAE national women are the first donors at the centre. Dr Asma Ibrahim Al Asad, the Director and Laboratory Manager of DCRC, said the volunteer donors had requested that the cells should be kept for their own use.

"We are getting a good response, and hope to increase the number of donors in the coming years. The donors have the choice of keeping the stem cells for their own use, or allowing others to benefit as well," she explained, adding that the storage capacity at the centre was above 1,000 blood units for the first year," she added.

Donation procedure

DUBAI — Umbilical cord blood is what remains in the placenta following birth. The blood is collected after delivery. The collection process does not change labour and no blood will be taken from the baby. The procedure is absolutely painless.