Hematologist
CION Cancer Clinics
The questions to ask before you choose a haematology centre | CION Cancer Clinics
Ask three things first: who will lead your care, how often the team treats your exact blood condition, and what happens if a fever or bleeding starts at night. Then ask how the diagnosis is confirmed, what is referred elsewhere and what your scheme covers. This page lists the questions, and the answers that should reassure or concern you. 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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15,000+patients treated
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On this page
- What should I ask before choosing a haematology centre?
- Which questions matter most, and why?
- What should a centre give you clearly, in writing?
- Which answers should reassure me, and which should worry me?
- What do families assume about choosing a centre?
- How do I use these questions at a first visit?
- What do these terms mean when a centre uses them?
- Common questions about choosing a haematology centre
The short answer
What should I ask before choosing a haematology centre?
Ask who will treat you, how often they treat your exact condition, and how the diagnosis will be confirmed. Then ask what happens at night or on a Sunday if a fever or bleeding starts. Those answers tell you more than the size of the building.
Why blood disorders need a particular kind of team
Leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and serious blood disorders are not treated like most other illnesses. The diagnosis depends on specialist lab tests on blood and bone marrow. Treatment often lowers the blood counts, so infections and bleeding can become emergencies quickly. You need a haematologist, a lab that can do or arrange the right tests, a day-care unit, safe blood transfusion and a route to emergency care at any hour.
Who this page is for
It is written for patients and families in Hyderabad and the districts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh who are choosing where to start treatment, or thinking about moving. Many readers are the son or daughter making calls on a parent's behalf.
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you which centre is right for your illness. It cannot judge any hospital or doctor. It gives you the questions, and the kind of answers that should reassure or concern you.
If you already have a fever, bleeding or sudden breathlessness, go to the nearest emergency department or call 108 first. Choose a centre after that.The questions
Which questions matter most, and why?
Write these down and take them to the first visit. You do not need to ask them all at once.
About the team
You want to know that a haematologist, not only a general physician, leads your care.
Ask
- Who will be my main doctor?
- How many patients with my condition do you see?
- Is my case discussed at a tumour board?
About the diagnosis
The right treatment depends on an exact diagnosis, including genetic changes in the cancer cells.
Ask
- Which tests are done here, and which are sent out?
- Who reads the bone marrow?
- When will all results be back?
About treatment and safety
Low counts after treatment make fever an emergency. The centre's plan for that matters.
Ask
- Who do I call at night?
- Is blood and platelet transfusion available?
- Where do I go if I need admission?
About what is done elsewhere
No single centre offers everything. Honest centres say what they refer out.
Ask
- If I need a transplant or CAR-T, where would I go?
- Who coordinates that referral?
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistBefore you commit
What should a centre give you clearly, in writing?
- The full diagnosis, including any genetic test results
- The goal of treatment and the proposed plan
- A contact number that is answered at night
- Signs that mean you must come in straight away
- An indicative estimate, and what your scheme or insurer covers
- Copies of every report, slide and scan when you ask
Reading the answers
Which answers should reassure me, and which should worry me?
Good answers are specific. "Dr. Basudev Pokhrel will see you, and your case goes to the tumour board this week" is specific. "Our doctors are very experienced" is not. Listen for names, steps and honest limits.
Answers that usually reassure
The team explains which tests are sent to another lab and why. They tell you plainly what they do not offer, such as a stem cell transplant, and which qualified centres they work with. They welcome a second opinion and hand over records without fuss. They describe the side effects you may face, and who does not suit the proposed treatment.
Answers that should make you pause
Be careful if a centre promises a result, discourages you from asking questions, or starts treatment before the diagnosis is confirmed without explaining why. Be careful too if nobody can say who answers the phone at night, or if you are pushed to decide on the day with a package price.
Cost and schemes
Ask whether the centre accepts Aarogyasri, PM-JAY, CGHS, ECHS, EHS or your cashless insurance for your treatment. Scheme rules change, so check the current rules with the scheme as well as the hospital.
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Commonly believed
What do families assume about choosing a centre?
"The biggest hospital must be the right one."
Size does not tell you whether a haematologist leads your care, or how the team handles a fever at night. A smaller team that treats blood disorders every day and has clear links to other centres may serve you well.
"We should go to the city even if the drive is long."
Blood cancer treatment means many visits, repeat blood counts and sudden trips when fever starts. Distance matters. Ask whether part of the care can happen closer to home, with the specialist team guiding it.
"A centre that refers some treatment out is weaker."
Every centre refers something out. What matters is that they tell you early, name where, and coordinate it so that you are not left to arrange a transplant or CAR-T assessment alone.
"Once treatment starts, we cannot change centres."
You can move, although timing matters. Moving in the middle of a cycle needs planning between both teams, and full records. Talk to your current doctor before you decide.
Using the questions
How do I use these questions at a first visit?
Gather the records
Bring every blood count, bone marrow report, scan and discharge summary you have, in date order. Ask for slides if a biopsy was done elsewhere. The team cannot answer well without them.
Pick your top five
Choose the five questions that worry your family most. Write them on one page. Give a copy to the person who will speak for the family, so nothing is forgotten in the rush.
Note the answers
Write down names and what was said, or ask whether you may record the conversation. Answers heard in a tense room are easily forgotten by the drive home.
Compare calmly
If you visit more than one centre, compare the answers side by side at home. Ask your doctor how long you can safely take to decide.
Words you will hear
What do these terms mean when a centre uses them?
- Tumour board
- A regular meeting where several specialists review a case together before the plan is confirmed.
- Flow cytometry
- A lab test that sorts blood or marrow cells by the markers on their surface. It helps name the exact type of leukaemia or lymphoma.
- Cytogenetics and molecular tests
- Tests that look for changes in the genes of the cancer cells. They often guide which treatment is chosen.
- Day-care
- Treatment given in the morning with the patient going home the same day, without an overnight stay.
- Shared care
- An arrangement where a specialist centre plans treatment and a closer hospital helps with some visits and blood tests.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about choosing a haematology centre
Does it matter if a general physician treats my blood cancer?
It usually does. Blood cancers and serious blood disorders need a haematologist, a doctor trained in blood diseases, to confirm the diagnosis and plan treatment. A general physician can help with day-to-day care, but ask who is making the main decisions and how often they treat your condition.
How do I know if a centre sees enough patients like me?
Ask directly how often they treat your exact condition, and whether it is discussed at a tumour board. A confident team will answer plainly. Vague replies, or a change of subject, are worth noting. You do not need an exact figure. You need a clear sense that this is routine work for them.
Does CION do bone marrow transplants?
CION's haematology team evaluates your case, presents it at a tumour board and coordinates access to qualified centres for treatments such as stem cell transplant and CAR-T. Ask any centre you are considering the same question, and ask who arranges the referral and follow-up.
Should I choose the centre closest to home?
Distance is one factor, not the only one. Treatment often means frequent visits and urgent trips when fever starts, so a long journey carries real risk. Weigh the team's experience against travel time, and ask whether some visits and blood tests can be done nearer home.
Is it rude to visit more than one centre?
No. Families often meet two teams before deciding. Be open about it, carry your records, and ask your doctor how long you can safely take. Some fast-growing blood cancers need treatment to start quickly, so do not let the search delay care.
What if my scheme only covers certain hospitals?
Aarogyasri, PM-JAY, CGHS, ECHS and EHS each have their own lists of empanelled hospitals and covered treatments. Check the current rules with your scheme and ask the hospital's desk to confirm. Cashless insurance also varies by policy, so call your insurer before you commit.
What records should I carry to the first visit?
Carry all blood count reports, bone marrow and biopsy reports, genetic test results, scan reports with images on a disc, discharge summaries and a list of current medicines. Keep the originals and bring copies. If slides or blocks exist, ask the first lab how to release them.
Can I change centres if I am unhappy later?
Yes, though it needs planning. Ask for a full treatment summary and your records, and let the new team speak to the old one. Do not stop or skip any medicine or cycle during the move. Your treating team decides the safest timing.
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.
Want a specific doctor for your case? Mention them when booking.
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Patient stories
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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
- American Cancer Society — Finding care
- Cancer.Net — The Cancer Care Team
- Leukemia & Lymphoma Society — Patient and family support
- Blood Cancer UK — Blood cancer information and support
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
Red Flags When Choosing a Blood Cancer ProviderWarning signs to watch for when you visitTransplant Centre Selection CriteriaIf a transplant may be part of the planDocuments to Carry Between Haematology CentresWhat to take to a first visitGetting a Second Opinion Without Offending Your DoctorHow to raise it with your current doctorBlood cancer guideBackground on the main types of blood cancer
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