Mumbai: In a significant step toward advancing specialized healthcare, Mumbai’s Cama and Albless Hospital will launch a dedicated Genetic Counselling Department starting April 1, Medical Superintendent Dr. Tushar Palve announced.
Expert-Led Care
The new department will focus on the diagnosis, counselling, and management of inherited disorders, aiming to provide patients with access to advanced and personalized care. It will be led by genetic specialists Dr. Shabana Borate and Dr. Kshamata Kindre, who will oversee clinical services and patient care.
A key feature of the department will be genetic counselling—an essential service that helps individuals and families understand inherited conditions, assess the risk of passing them to future generations, and make informed medical and reproductive decisions. The service will also provide emotional and psychological support to affected families.
Targeting Major Disorders
The facility will assist in diagnosing and managing several genetic conditions, including Down syndrome, Thalassemia, Sickle cell anemia, and Turner syndrome, along with other inherited and chromosomal abnormalities.
Globally, genetic and congenital disorders remain a major health concern among newborns. According to the World Health Organization, about 6% of all babies worldwide—roughly 7.9 million births each year—are born with a genetic or partially genetic disorder. These range from chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome to inherited blood disorders like Thalassemia and Sickle cell anemia.
India’s Silent Burden
In India, the burden is similarly significant. Studies suggest that approximately 64 per 1,000 live births (around 6.4%) are affected by birth defects, many of which have a genetic basis. Limited access to screening in some regions further underscores the need for early diagnosis and counselling.
The new department will also play a vital role in prenatal screening to detect abnormalities during pregnancy, as well as in the early diagnosis of genetic disorders in newborns.
Hospital authorities said the initiative is expected to strengthen preventive healthcare, enable early detection, and improve treatment outcomes, while making advanced genetic services more accessible to the public.
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