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Sassoon starts new department of foetal medicine to provide advanced care to pregnant women
To offer pregnant women advanced healthcare, BJ Government Medical College (BJGMC) and Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) have established a new department of foetal medicine
To offer pregnant women advanced healthcare, BJ Government Medical College (BJGMC) and Sassoon General Hospital (SGH) have established a new department of foetal medicine. With this, BJGMC and SGH can now offer foetal surgery for complicated twins, diaphragmatic hernia, pleural effusions, intrauterine transfusions etc.
Speaking about this initiative, officials at Sassoon said, “Problems like high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, foetus not growing well, premature births, congenital anomalies, foetal anaemia, chromosomal defects and rare syndromes are some of the concerns that take a huge toll on the families. Also, this tremendously increases the costs of healthcare. Foetal medicine is the branch of medical sciences which uses advances in population studies, artificial intelligence, ultrasound and genetics for mothers and foetuses. These have changed the care for pregnant women in recent times.”
They added that with this department it would now be possible to provide advanced care to pregnant women.
“Now it’s possible to screen for problems and prevent them in early pregnancy itself. Also, there are certain complications of twin pregnancies, and foetal anomalies which can be corrected even before the delivery by foetal surgery. The new Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act has further empowered women and medical boards have been set up at centres like SGH to help them with anomalies beyond 24 weeks. To address these needs, at BJGMC and SGH, dean, Dr Sanjiv Thakur and the department of obstetrics- gynaecology under Dr Sanjay Tambe, have started the new department of foetal medicine which is the first such department in government hospitals of western India. Dr Chinmay Umarji, MRCOG, MRCP, Ireland, foetal and maternal medicine expert is the in-charge of this unit,” informed the officials.
Dr Thakur said, “BJGMC and SGH can now provide services for the second opinion scans, offer procedures like amniocentesis, CVS for diagnosis of genetic defects and for the first time can offer foetal surgery, for complicated twins, diaphragmatic hernia, pleural effusions, intrauterine transfusions etc. We aim to eliminate eclampsia and provide respectful maternity care through this initiative to our patients.”
Dr Umarji said, “We aim to use this facility for the betterment of patients and learning of medical students. With this department, we aim to advance maternal healthcare in Maharashtra and reduce maternal and infant mortality.”
