Arjun Munda kicks off the Aspirational District Activity of UMMID at Ranchi

Ranchi: Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda has announced the beginning of the Aspirational District Activity of UMMID Initiative (Unique Methods of Management and Treatment of Inherited Disorders Initiative) at Ranchi, supported by Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.

Speaking on the occasion Mr Munda said that out of the 117 aspirational districts his ministry works in 93 tribal majority districts, where neonatal complications are relatively high. He assured his ministry’s complete support to this cause.

He advised practitioners to work with sensitivity and not just do research formalities. He called on the doctors and researchers working in the field to create and upkeep an original database for the country which is useful for future purposes as well.

Dr Harsh Vardhan Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Health & Family Welfare had recently launched UMMID Initiative (Unique Methods of Management and treatment of Inherited Disorders Initiative) with the aim (i) to establish NIDAN Kendras to provide counseling, prenatal testing and diagnosis, management, and multidisciplinary care in Government Hospitals wherein the influx of patients is more, (ii) to produce skilled clinicians in Human Genetics, and (iii) to undertake screening of pregnant women and newborn babies for inherited genetic diseases in hospitals at aspirational districts.

Congenital and hereditary genetic diseases are becoming a significant health burden in India, and hence there is a need for adequate and effective genetic testing and counseling services. Jharkhand has a very high prevalence rate for Sickle Cell Anemia and Thalassemia and is an endemic zone for these disorders.

State of the art infrastructure and sufficient trained personnel are needed to be able to provide clinical services to a large number of needy patients. As prevention is better than cure, the UMMID the initiative aims to provide counseling, prenatal testing and diagnosis, management and multidisciplinary care in Government Hospitals having a huge burden of patients.

It also aims to undertake screening of pregnant women and newborn babies for inherited genetic disorders in some identified Aspirational Districts and Ranchi is one of them.

Under this program, screening of 10,000 pregnant women and 5000 newborn babies per year for inherited genetic diseases will be taken up.

Department of Pediatrics, Maulana Azad Medical College – the Training Centre supported by the Department of Biotechnology, under UMMID Initiative has been entrusted the responsibility of Ranchi, the Aspirational District having huge patient load of Sickle Cell Anemia and Thalassemia.

With the joint effort of multiple stakeholders with the Government of India, it is envisaged that the program will go a long way in reducing the morbidity and mortality related to these disorders.

Since the program is being implemented at government hospitals, common people who may not afford expensive care for genetic disorders will get benefited.