Until 30th July, a pregnant woman in Gadchiroli who required fetal screening often had to travel to Nagpur or Chandrapur. For families from rural and tribal communities, this meant additional expense, lost time and a difficult journey during pregnancy. For some, distance could also mean delaying or missing timely prenatal diagnosis.
That changed when District Women’s Hospital, Gadchiroli, and Sankalp India Foundation signed an MoU to make fetal screening available locally. Envisioned and led by Dr. Varsha Lahade, Civil Surgeon, the facility was inaugurated on 30th July by MLA Dr. Milind Narote. The first fetal screening procedure was completed the same day.
Samples can now be collected at the hospital, while specialised laboratory testing will be carried out by Sankalp. The service builds on Sankalp’s existing Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Prevention Programme at the hospital. For a district with a high burden of sickle cell disease, this closes an important gap in prenatal care.y
Why does this matter? For an at-risk carrier couple, timely fetal screening provides information needed to make an informed decision during pregnancy. When testing is available nearby, more families are likely to complete it in time. This procedure marked more than an inauguration, a long-needed service had finally come closer to home.