Ranchi: A year after health minister Irfan Ansari announced plans to establish the state’s first Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT) unit to improve treatment for patients suffering from blood disorders such as sickle cell anaemia and thalassemia, the project remains stuck in the tendering stage. While the health department granted in-principle approval for the facility at Ranchi Sadar Hospital in Nov last year and had targeted commissioning it within seven months, officials now say the project will have to undergo a fresh round of bidding.The proposal gained momentum on Nov 3 last year when Ranchi Sadar Hospital haematologist Dr Abhishek Ranjan raised the issue during a review meeting. Additional chief secretary (health) Ajoy Kumar Singh subsequently approved the project and assured that the department would provide the required funds to establish the facility at the earliest.At the time, Singh had said the BMT unit would become functional within seven months.However, progress has since slowed. According to Dr Ranjan, a tender was floated for setting up the unit and three bidders participated in the process. The project was estimated at Rs 11 crore, but an additional Rs 4 crore is now required for its establishment.“Following the tender process, we have been advised by the department to go for retendering to establish the BMT unit,” Ranjan said.