KUALA LUMPUR: It costs around RM3mil to treat a thalassemia patient from infancy up to the age of 40, says Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. The standard treatment for thalassemia patients in Malaysia includes regular blood transfusions, chelation therapy to control iron overload, and other supportive clinical care. “A one-time curative treatment costs between RM10mil and RM13mil per patient,” he said during Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday (Feb 23). He added that the ministry has also been using Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) to treat patients. “A total of 212 thalassemia patients have been cured through HSCT since 2007.

Source: The Star February 23, 2026 05:09 UTC