In what promises to be a landmark step for public healthcare in Mumbai, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital (Sion Hospital) is set to open its much-awaited Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) Unit for children at its Dharavi branch, the Eknath Gaikwad Urban Health Centre.

With nearly 60 per cent of construction complete, hospital authorities confirmed that the facility will begin admitting its first patients by December 2025 or January 2026. The new pediatric BMT unit, among the first in any municipal hospital in Mumbai, is being developed to treat children suffering from serious blood disorders such as thalassemia, leukaemia, lymphoma, and aplastic anaemia. Once operational, it will dramatically improve access to advanced haematology and transplant care for underprivileged children who depend on public hospitals.