Govt. super specialty hospital in Chennai approaches GCC to refer pregnant women for anomaly screening
The Hindu
The Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital (TNGMSSH) has approached the Greater Chennai Corporation to ask its UPHCs, first point of care for pregnant women, to refer more patients for early pregnancy anomaly screening
Three months after launching an early pregnancy anomaly screening, the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital (TNGMSSH) has approached the urban primary health centres (PHC) in the Greater Chennai Corporation limits to reach out to more pregnant women.
With the PHCs being the first point of care for several pregnant women, the hospital is hoping to receive referrals for its first trimester screening for fetal anomalies.
The hospital’s early pregnancy anomaly screening — comprising ultrasound scan, genetic markers testing and comprehensive blood tests — is being offered as an exclusive package under the Advanced Master Health Checkup Centre at a cost of ₹1,000. This is almost one-fifth of the cost of the screening in the private sector, according to V. Anand Kumar, nodal officer and head of Radiology, TNGMSSH.
It was the first of its kind scheme to be launched by a State government hospital in the country and such screening was available only in the private sector. “This screening has colour Doppler, NT scan, genetic markers testing and blood tests so that the risk prediction is more than 90%. The aim is to screen all pregnant women during early pregnancy for genetic abnormalities risk detection,” he said.
Earlier, the hospital had approached the three government maternity hospitals in the city — Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Egmore; Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children, Triplicane; and RSRM Lying-in Hospital, Royapuram — to refer pregnant women for the screening.
“We learned that urban PHCs were the first point of care for many pregnant women in the city, and so we approached the chief health officer of GCC. They have assured to inform all medical officers of the availability of this genetic screening,” he said.
The hospital has printed pamphlets on the benefits of the screening and distributed them to the PHCs. The same charges were applicable to private referrals as well, he added.