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Tata Medical Center is first Cellular Therapy Program in India to earn FACT Accreditation

OMAHA, Neb. — The Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (FACT) announced today that Tata Medical Center in Kolkata, India, received internationally recognized FACT accreditation. Directed by Jeevan Kumar, MD, MBBS, it is the first and only cellular therapy program in India to be recognized by FACT. Dr. Mammen Chandy, former Director of Tata Medical Center, committed years ago to enhancing quality throughout the program and attaining FACT accreditation. The program achieved accreditation February 29, 2024, for Adult and Pediatric Allogeneic and Autologous Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Transplantation, Peripheral Blood Cellular Therapy Product Collection, and Cellular Therapy Product Processing with Minimal Manipulation. Tata Medical Center is part of the FACT India Working Group, led by Nadim Mahmud, MD, PhD.

Dr. Mahmud states, “This marks a significant milestone for the FACT India Working Group and for India. We are encouraged by Tata Medical Center’s achievement in obtaining FACT accreditation, which demonstrates a commitment to quality and ensuring the best possible outcomes for patients undergoing stem cell transplants. We believe that other transplant centers in India will recognize the benefits and join us in pursuing FACT accreditation. I am indebted to Professor Mammen Chandy from Tata Medical Center for his wisdom in facilitating the process and advocating the need for FACT accreditation, not only for Tata Medical Center in Kolkata, but for all BMT centers in India.”

Dr. Kumar notes, “The FACT accreditation cements our commitment to provide the highest quality of patient care. It is recognition of our founding director’s vision to establish evidence based best practices in cellular therapy at Tata Medical Center. The unwavering support of the administration and our team’s hard work has resulted in successfully completing the accreditation process. It marks the inclusion of the first Indian center into the global consortium of accredited Institutions. Even though the accreditation process was rigorous, it helped us to consolidate our strengths and identify opportunities for improvement. The FACT team has continuously supported us in this endeavor. The on-site inspection served as a peer-review by international experts and boosted the morale of our team members. As an active member of the FACT India Working Group, we are happy to share our experiences and quality improvement initiatives with like-minded centers in India and abroad.”

Dr. Phyllis Warkentin, FACT Chief Medical Officer, states, “Tata Medical Center’s achievement of FACT accreditation in Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation and Cellular Therapy as the first program in India to reach this milestone demonstrates its commitment to providing quality care for the patients it serves. FACT commends the leadership and staff of Tata Medical Center for their dedication and resilience in pursuit of accreditation, their contributions to the FACT India Working Group, and their leadership in the field and the region.”

About FACT

Founded in 1996, FACT is a non-profit corporation co-founded by the International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy (ISCT) and the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) for the voluntary inspection and accreditation in the field of cellular therapy. FACT promotes improvement and progress by establishing minimum standards, providing education, and inspecting and accrediting programs worldwide. For more information, visit www.factglobal.org.

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