Genetic screening yet to take off at govt hospitals

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 12

Two years after the UT Health Department had proposed to develop a scheme for ensuring genetic screening for all expectant women and newborns in the city at subsidised rates, the project is yet to take off.

In February 2015, UT Health Secretary Anurag Agarwal had said the department was planning to introduce a genetic screening facility at all government hospitals and health centres by the end of the year. 

Under the prenatal screening programme, dual test and triple test are done on pregnant women’s blood to identify high-risk pregnancies for Down’s syndrome, Edward syndrome and neural tube defects. These tests are done between 11 to 13 weeks and 15 to 20 weeks of pregnancy, respectively. In private sector, the tests cost anything between Rs 2,000-5,000.

For the past many years, in the government sector, the facility of genetic screening – pre-natal and neo-natal - is available at a nominal rate only at Government Medical College and Hospital, Sector 32, Chandigarh. With nearly 30,000 deliveries being conducted every year at city’s government health centres, including the GMCH-32, the GMSH-16, Civil Hospitals of Mani Majra, Sector 22 and Sector 45, the lone genetic screening centre at the GMCH-32 has been handling bulk of load of tests. 

The GMCH also caters to the load of patients referred from Haryana and private nursing homes. As a result, the hospital often runs out of kits to perform the test, hitting the patients hard, especially those belonging to the economically weaker section (EWS). 

Dr Rakesh Kashyap, director, health services, UT, said, “There is no requirement for starting genetic screening at all hospitals. Basic tests of pregnant women are done at health centres. In case the doctors feel the need, the patients are referred to GMCH-32.”

Meanwhile, Health Secretary Anurag Aggarwal remained unavailable for comments despite repeated attempts.  

What is genetic screening?

Screening means testing healthy pregnant population to pick up those mothers who are at a higher risk of carrying abnormal babies. Newborns are also screened to diagnose abnormalities

Who needs it?

All pregnant women must undergo the test to ensure that their babies are normal and healthy.