PGI installs next-generation sequencing testing in hematology department
The advanced, next-generation sequencer will help the patients with blood diseases at PGI, Chandigarh
An advanced, next-generation sequencer was put into routine diagnostic patient care service by the hematology department of Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh.
Dr Reena Das, head of hematology (laboratory), informed that the instrument is a key resource in modern laboratories as it helps in diagnosing several blood diseases.
Dr Pankaj Malhotra, head of clinical hematology and medical oncology department, said, “Patients with different blood cancers and children with bone marrow failure are likely to benefit from the availability of this facility.”
Patients diagnosed with bleeding or anemia (lack of blood) from unknown reasons will be another major beneficiary group. Such patients currently have to undergo numerous lab tests to diagnose their illnesses.
The next-generation sequencer will shorten the patients’ waiting time, as well as offer them hope for testing their future generations for specific hematological genetic diseases, such as hemophilia and thalassemia.
The above-listed tests are currently available only in a few private laboratories and some government research institutions who don’t offer them as routine patient care tests.
The initiation of this service will be a life saver for the underprivileged and needy sections of society who often get treated at PGIMER.