Haryana to set up facility for screening diseases in new born

The Haryana Government has decided to tie up with a university of the United States to set up a New Born Screening (NBS) Laboratory in the State to trace any possible disease in new born babies.

Health Minister Anil Vij, who met a delegation led by executive director of the Emory Genetics Laboratory (United States), Dr. Madhuri Hegde, said with the project, Haryana will become the first State in the country to have set up such a lab.

Under this project, every type of diagnosis would be carried out on two to seven-day-old babies. If any disease or problem is identified then efforts would be made to treat it with medicines, diet, counselling and other necessary directions.

The Minister said the priority of the government would be to provide good health to every new born so that they may not face any problem in future. This would also lower the infant mortality rate and help in identifying every possible disease in the new born children, he added.

Mr. Vij said Emory University would provide help in setting up of the advanced lab in which blood and other tests would be carried out of new-born children, born in both government and private hospitals.

Dr. Hegde said Emory University is starting this project in Haryana on pilot project basis. She said that the University would not only help in setting up high quality new lab in the State, but would also provide training to doctors.