Hematologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Moving regular transfusion care to a new centre | CION Cancer Clinics
Carry your full blood record and do not leave a gap. Before your next transfusion is due, meet the new haematologist and give the new blood bank your blood group and antibody history, your transfusion log, iron reports and chelation details. This guide covers what to ask both hospitals, how schemes affect the move, and the warning signs that should not wait for an appointment. At CION Cancer Clinics, our haematology team supports patients and families through treatment, cost questions and life at home.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Basudev PokhrelConsultant Haematologist · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- How do you move regular transfusions to a new centre safely?
- What should you ask your current centre to give you?
- What does a smooth transfer look like?
- What should you ask the old centre and the new one?
- What about cost, schemes and travel from the districts?
- What do families often get wrong about switching centres?
- Common questions about moving transfusion care
The short answer
How do you move regular transfusions to a new centre safely?
You move transfusion care safely by carrying your full blood record with you and by not leaving a gap. Book the first visit at the new centre before your next transfusion is due at the old one, so nobody has to guess.
Why the record matters more than the move
Every transfusion leaves a trace. Some people slowly build antibodies, which are proteins that react against donated blood that does not match closely enough. Your old blood bank knows which ones you have. A new blood bank does not, unless you tell it. Without that history, finding a well-matched unit can take longer, and a reaction is more likely.
Who usually makes this move
Families of children with thalassaemia, a blood disorder where the body makes too little working haemoglobin, move most often. So do adults with sickle cell disease, some kinds of anaemia (a low haemoglobin), and people with a blood cancer who need support transfusions. Reasons are practical: a new job, a move to Hyderabad, a centre closer to a district home, or a child moving to adult care.
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you how often you need blood or what your haemoglobin should be before each transfusion. Those are set by your haematologist for you alone, and the new team will review them.
Do not stretch the gap between transfusions to fit the move. If dates clash, tell both centres and let them agree the date.Before you leave
What should you ask your current centre to give you?
Ask for copies, not originals. Keep one set on paper and one as photos on your phone.
Blood group and antibody history
This is the single most useful page. It shows your full blood group and any antibodies found on past cross-match tests, the check done before each unit is given.
Ask specifically for
- Extended blood group, if it was done
- Every antibody ever reported
- Any special blood product you receive
Transfusion log
Dates, number of units, haemoglobin before each transfusion, and any reaction such as fever, rash or shivering. A simple handwritten log kept by the family is welcome too.
Iron load and chelation
Regular blood slowly builds up iron in the body. Chelation is the medicine that removes it. Bring recent ferritin reports, any MRI iron scan, and the name of the chelation medicine exactly as prescribed.
Keep taking it as prescribed during the move. Only a doctor changes it.Everything else
A doctor's summary letter, the diagnosis report, other medicines, vaccination records, spleen surgery details if any, and infection screening results such as hepatitis and HIV tests.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistStep by step
What does a smooth transfer look like?
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Tell your current haematologist
Say where you are moving and when. Most doctors will write a transfer letter and some will call the new team directly. You are not being disloyal by asking.
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Book a consultation first, not a transfusion
The new haematologist needs to meet you, read the records and plan before the first unit is ordered. Ask for this appointment well before your next transfusion falls due.
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Blood sample to the new blood bank
The new blood bank will group your blood again and check for antibodies. If you have antibodies, it may need extra time to find matched units, so give it that time.
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First transfusion at the new centre
Expect it to take a little longer than usual. Nurses will watch closely at the start. Bring your log so they can compare with your old pattern.
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Review after the first few visits
The team checks how your haemoglobin holds between transfusions and reviews iron levels. The plan may be adjusted. Ask why, and write it in your own record.
Side by side
What should you ask the old centre and the new one?
Ask the centre you are leaving
Ask the centre you are joining
Can I have my antibody history in writing?
Does your blood bank do extended matching when I need it?
Will you write a summary of my plan and why it was chosen?
Who reviews my plan, and how often?
Who can the new team call if they have a question?
Can transfusions be given in day care, so I go home the same day?
Is my scheme approval tied to this hospital?
Which schemes and insurers do you accept for regular transfusions?
Can I come back here in an emergency during the move?
Who do I call at night if something goes wrong at home?
Leave a number, we will call you
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!
Do not wait for the new appointment if this happens
If you or your child becomes very breathless, has chest pain, faints, looks very pale and drowsy, or has a high fever with shivering, go to the nearest emergency department the same day or call 108. Tell them the diagnosis and that regular transfusions are needed. Carry your record with you. The same applies to fever, rash, back pain or dark urine during or after a transfusion at a new centre: tell the nurse at once.
The practical side
What about cost, schemes and travel from the districts?
Check your scheme before you move, not after. Some approvals are linked to one hospital. A new approval may be needed for the new centre, and that takes paperwork.
Schemes and insurance
Aarogyasri, PM-JAY, CGHS, ECHS and EHS may cover regular transfusion care, as may cashless insurance. Rules change, so confirm the current rules with the scheme desk at both hospitals. Some government programmes also support people with thalassaemia and sickle cell disease. Ask the social worker or scheme desk what applies to you.
Travel and time off
A centre close to home often matters more than a famous name far away. Regular transfusions mean regular travel, and a missed visit because of a long bus journey is a real risk. Ask whether early morning slots or day care are possible.
Who a move may not suit right now
If you are in the middle of a flare, an infection, a pregnancy or a treatment change, moving may be better timed after things settle. Talk it through with your current doctor. At CION, the haematology team led by Dr. Basudev Pokhrel reviews transferred records and coordinates with qualified centres for anything done elsewhere.
Commonly believed
What do families often get wrong about switching centres?
"Blood is blood. Our blood group is all the new hospital needs."
Blood group is only the start. People who have had many transfusions may carry antibodies that the group alone does not show. The written antibody history lets the new blood bank match blood more closely and more safely.
"We can skip one transfusion while we settle in."
A gap can leave haemoglobin low enough to cause tiredness, breathlessness and, in children, poor growth over time. Plan the first visit at the new centre so the schedule carries on. If dates clash, ask both doctors to agree the timing.
"Our old doctor will be upset, so we will not ask for records."
Records belong to your care. Asking for copies is normal and doctors expect it. Most would much rather the new team knew your history than started blind.
"The new centre will just copy the old plan."
A good team reviews the plan, not just repeats it. It may change the timing or look again at iron levels. That is not a sign the old plan was wrong. Ask what changed and why.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about moving transfusion care
Do I need a referral letter to move to a new hospital?
It is not always required, but it helps a great deal. A letter from your current haematologist explains the diagnosis, the transfusion plan, any reactions and the chelation medicine. Without it, the new team has to piece your history together from loose reports, and that can slow the first transfusion.
Will the new blood bank test my blood again?
Yes. Every blood bank groups your blood and checks for antibodies itself before giving a unit, even if you bring reports. This is a safety step, not doubt about your old hospital. Your written antibody history still matters, because it tells the new bank what to look for.
What if I have lost some old reports?
Ask the old hospital's medical records department for copies. Bring whatever you have, even photos on a phone. The new team can often work with a partial record, and may repeat some tests. From now on, keep your own folder with every report, in order of date.
Should I change my chelation medicine when I move?
No, not on your own. Keep taking it exactly as prescribed. The new haematologist will review your iron levels and decide whether anything should change. If you run short during the move, tell either team before the medicine runs out, rather than stopping.
My child is moving from a children's unit to adult care. What changes?
The medical need is the same, but the young person is gradually expected to manage more: knowing their diagnosis, carrying their records, and asking their own questions. Ask the children's team for a handover letter. Go to the first adult appointments together, and let the young person speak first.
Can I get transfusions at a day care centre instead of admission?
Often yes, if you are otherwise well and have had transfusions before without serious reactions. Day care means you come in and go home the same day. People who have had reactions, have other illnesses, or need close watching may be admitted. The new team decides this after meeting you.
Will my Aarogyasri or insurance cover the new centre?
It depends on the scheme and whether the new centre is empanelled for your care. Some approvals must be renewed when you change hospital. Call the scheme desk at the new centre with your card details before the first visit, and check the current rules, as they change.
Can I go back to my old hospital if the move does not work out?
Usually yes. Nothing stops you returning, and many families move back and forth for family or work reasons. The rule is the same in both directions: carry the updated records, including anything that changed at the new centre, so no information is lost between the two teams.
Your Haematologist
Meet CION's haematologist. One specialist for your blood report and your plan.
Dr. Basudev Pokhrel reviews blood counts, transfusion needs and blood disorders, and works with the CION tumour board on blood cancers.
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Accreditation and empanelment
- NABH
- NABL
- ISO 9001:2015
- ArogyaSri empanelled
- CGHS accepted
- ECHS accepted
- EHS accepted
- Major cashless insurers
Paying for it
Insurance, schemes and payment
What you actually pay usually differs a great deal from the sticker figure.
AarogyasriEmpanelled. Bring the card and a referral where you have one.
CGHS / ECHS / EHSAccepted at CION centres for eligible treatment.
Cashless insuranceMost major insurers are empanelled. Pre-authorisation is handled by our desk.
Self-payItemised estimate given before treatment starts. No EMI scheme exists.
Where to find us
Our centres in and around Hyderabad
Addressed by landmark, because that is how this city navigates. A haematology consultation can be booked at any of these centres through one helpline, and your team will tell you where each test or treatment takes place.
Warangal
Vizag
Sources
- NHS — Blood transfusion
- NHS — Thalassaemia
- NHLBI — Blood Transfusion
- NHLBI — Thalassemias
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Choosing a Centre for Thalassaemia or Sickle Cell CareWhat to look for in the centre you are moving toKeeping Your Own Blood Disorder RecordsHow to build the folder that makes any move easierDay Care vs Admission for Blood DisordersWhether transfusions can be done in a single day visitChoosing Care for a Blood DisorderThe full guide to finding haematology care
Talk to us
Moving your transfusion care to Hyderabad?
Tell us your diagnosis and send your records. The haematology team will review them and help plan your first visit. One helpline serves every CION centre.