India 28 October 2016: Committed to making widely accessible the latest developments in genetics to the general public and realizing the need to create a genetic counselling system to strengthen the diagnostic capabilities of an integrated healthcare structure, Nanavati Super Specialty Hospital (NSSH) has launched a Genomic Clinic. Providing risk assessment, diagnosis, education and support to individuals affected by or at risk of a genetic disorder, the clinic is an integral part of the multidisciplinary services offered by NSSH.
“With genetic predisposition being the reason for more than 10,000 human disorders, genetic disorders are known to occur across whole lifespans and frequently affect multiple family members through successive generations. The alarming rise in genetic disorders has increasingly spawned the need for qualified genetic counsellors who assess the risk of an inherited condition by looking at a detailed medical and family history. If the individual and/or a family member is at risk of a genetic condition, the genetic counsellor helps them understand the genetic basis of the condition, the genetic testing options, and aid in appropriate management. The Genomic Clinic at NSSH is one of the first among city-based health players to provide genetic counselling for a broad range of genetic diseases including chromosomal abnormalities; inherited cancer syndromes, neurological and cardiac conditions; rare single gene disorders; genetic eye and hearing disorders; congenital abnormalities; learning disability and metabolic disorders, “stated Ms. Areeba Khan, Certified Genetic Counsellor, NSSH.
The Genomics Clinic at NSSH is a multi-specialty clinic with a certified genetic counsellor at the helm of affairs and a panel of clinicians working collaboratively to provide the best care and treatment to patients. The Genomic Oncology services of NSSH will be the first of its kind operating out of Tata Memorial Hospital and will operate in coordination with clinical inputs from Dr. Ashish Joshi, Consultant Medical Oncologist, NSSH. The telemedicine department of the clinic will provide counselling to a large number of individuals across the country, helping a large number of families.
The Clinic provides broad-based and comprehensive genetic testing and counselling for various genetic disorders including single gene disorders like muscular dystrophies, dysmorphic syndromes, skeletal and connective tissue disorders and neurological conditions. Testing and counselling is also provided for chromosomal abnormalities such as Down Syndrome, Turner Syndrome etc. Cardiac syndromes including arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies along with genetic eye and hearing disorders will also come within the gamut of the testing and counseling sessions. Inherited cancers comprising breast cancer, ovarian cancer and colon cancer along with congenital abnormalities including syndromic abnormalities whether in the antenatal or postnatal phase, learning disabilities and metabolic disorders will also be covered in the testing and counseling services offered by the clinic.