Chennai, May 28 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Health Department, in collaboration with the National Health Mission (NHM), is in the process of establishing two state-of-the-art Centres of Excellence for the prevention, diagnosis, and management of genetic disorders in Coimbatore and Madurai.

These upcoming centres are modelled after the existing and operational facility at the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children (ICH) in Chennai.

Officials confirmed that construction is underway and nearly 50 per cent of the infrastructure work has been completed.

The government has earmarked Rs 8.19 crore to fund the creation of these specialised centres, which are expected to significantly enhance Tamil Nadu’s capacity to manage genetic disorders that contribute to the state’s Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Under-Five Mortality Rate (U5MR).

“These centres are being established with the vision of improving early diagnosis and care for children suffering from rare and complex genetic conditions,” said Dr S. Srinivasan, expert advisor for Child health at NHM-Tamil Nadu.

“The model at ICH in Chennai has proven successful, and we are now replicating it in government medical college hospitals in Coimbatore and Madurai,” said Srinivasan.

The Centres of Excellence will cater to a wide spectrum of genetic and metabolic disorders. These include hemoglobinopathies like thalassemia and sickle cell anemia, chromosomal disorders, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), other neuromuscular conditions, lysosomal storage diseases (LSD), mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS), congenital adrenal hyperplasia, congenital hypothyroidism, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6PD) deficiency, and cystic fibrosis.

“These are often life-limiting conditions that need timely and advanced diagnostic tools for proper management,” Dr Srinivasan added.

At the Chennai facility, high-end diagnostic equipment such as Tandem Mass Spectrometry (TMS) and Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) machines have already been installed and are operational. These tools allow for the comprehensive screening and diagnosis of rare genetic disorders.

TMS, for instance, is used to detect inborn errors of metabolism (IEM), a group of rare disorders caused by enzyme deficiencies that prevent the body from properly converting food into energy. “With these advanced technologies, we are able to not only diagnose but also offer targeted treatment solutions and genetic counselling to families,” said Dr Srinivasan.

“It marks a crucial step toward bringing precision medicine into the public health system,” he said.

The centres in Coimbatore and Madurai are expected to be fully functional in the coming months. Once operational, they will play a pivotal role in addressing the burden of genetic disorders in the state, providing life-saving diagnostics and care to vulnerable children and their families.

–IANS

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