TSCS and Fernandez Hospital Join Hands for Prenatal Diagnosis to Prevent Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Anemia
TSCS remains the only NGO in India to offer this essential preventive service aimed at eliminating the birth of children affected by Thalassemia Major and Sickle Cell Anemia.
Hyderabad: In a landmark move towards preventing genetic blood disorders, the Thalassemia & Sickle Cell Society (TSCS), Hyderabad, through its Kamala Hospital and Research Centre, has launched a new Prenatal Diagnostic Centre in collaboration with Fernandez Hospital. This joint initiative will provide early prenatal diagnosis (PND) testing to pregnant women who are carriers of Thalassemia or Sickle Cell Anemia.
TSCS remains the only NGO in India to offer this essential preventive service aimed at eliminating the birth of children affected by Thalassemia Major and Sickle Cell Anemia.
As part of its ongoing antenatal screening efforts, TSCS identifies carrier couples in the early stages of pregnancy. If both parents are carriers, there is a 25% chance that their child could be affected. In such cases, the organization now offers advanced prenatal diagnostic testing during the early trimester, thanks to its collaboration with Fernandez Foundation.
The new “Prenatal Diagnostic Centre” is a significant milestone in TSCS’s broader mission to eradicate Thalassemia births in India by 2035. The initiative is driven by the principle that “Prevention is better than Cure.”
Supported by Dr. Suman Jain (Chief Medical Research Officer and Secretary, TSCS), Dr. K. Saroja (Medical Officer), and Dr. G. Padma (Research Scientist, TSCS), this collaboration empowers families by providing crucial genetic information, enabling them to make informed decisions.
“This partnership is about more than diagnostics—it’s about compassion, empowerment, and hope,” said Dr. Geeta Kolar, Obstetrician and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist at Fernandez Hospital. “We are committed to supporting every family with the best medical care and accurate information.”
Dr. Chandrakant Agarwal, President of TSCS, added, “This diagnostic centre is a milestone in our long-standing effort to stop the birth of children affected by thalassemia and sickle cell anemia. By combining science with social commitment, we aim to build a healthier, thalassemia-free future for the next generation.”
This collaboration marks a crucial step forward in improving reproductive health outcomes and reducing the prevalence of inherited blood disorders across the country.
