(a) the details of guidelines to set up ‘NIDAN KENDRAS’ in specific areas of the country;
(b) whether the Government is planning to set up ‘NIDAN KENDRAS’ in AIIMS andGovernment hospitals at district and block-level across the country including WestBengal;
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the Government is planning to set up infrastructure for training more clinicians;and
(e) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE; MINISTER OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; AND MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES
(DR. HARSH VARDHAN)
(a) Sir, the Department of Biotechnology recently started the Unique Methods for Management of Inherited Disorders (UMMID) initiative to address the burden of genetic disorders in the country. One of the components of the UMMID initiative is establishing NIDAN Kendra (National Inherited Disorders AdministratioNKendras) for providing clinical care broadly encompassing the activities of prenatal testing for genetic disorders, newborn screening for relatively common treatable genetic metabolic disorders, and genetic counseling of pregnant mothers carrying fetuses with high risk of genetic disorders.
(b) & (c) In the pilot phase of the UMMID initiative, NIDANKendras have been established at five Government hospitals spread in four states of the country. In the next phase of the UMMID initiative, the NIDAN Kendrasare being expanded to cover different states and these will be in Government Hospitals including AIIMS depending upon capacities. A NIDAN Kendra has already been setup at Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College& Hospital (NRSMC&H), Kolkata, West Bengal.
(d) & (e) Clinician training is one of the components of the UMMID initiative which envisages supporting establishment of training centres for providing training to the clinicians working in Government hospitals in Biochemical Genetics, Cytogenetics, Molecular Genetics, Clinical Genetics and Comprehensive clinical care. At present, six training centres are being supported for providing training to clinicians.
*****