Mumbai: For five years, the ICMR-NIRRCH in Parel was bridging the urban-rural divide by providing free genetic training to clinicians from across the country.
Each year, 15 to 20 doctors participated in the month-long programme before returning to their hometowns to treat patients with a new lens. However, this has now been discontinued after the completion of its five-year grant, and the institute is trying to bring is back to life.
ICMR-National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health has asked the Department of Health Research (DHR) to revive the course; it requires a relatively modest budget of Rs 4 to 5 lakh. Dr Geetanjali Sachdeva, the director of the institute, said that the funds covered hosting participants and arranging travel for expert interactions. “We really feel the course has been a great help to clinicians, so if not this year, then perhaps next year,” she said.
The impact is reflected in data. Dr Shailesh Pande, a geneticist at the institute, said that out of 250 families counselled at their genetic research centre, 150 were referrals from clinicians who had attended the programme. “These are cases that would have been otherwise missed,” he said, adding that many participants came from as far as North-eastern states. For these regions, the institute’s genetics team counselled families via videoconferencing and further connected them with the most affordable local testing centres.
Dr Devdatta Dabholkar, an assistant professor of gynaecology at MGM Medical College in Navi Mumbai, pointed out that while genetic problems are common in India due to consanguineous marriages, clinical training in the field is often lacking. He said that while labs heavily market expensive genetic tests, doctors struggle to know which are actually necessary. “We returned learning to identify the right tests for specific conditions and accurately interpret the results for our patients before involving a geneticist.”
