A drop of blood from a newborn’s heel could provide a comprehensive picture of the baby’s health, helping doctors detect over 140 disorders through tests. In most cases, early diagnosis through such tests could alone save the child from serious and potentially debilitating diseases leading to organ failure and mental retardation, doctors say. “These tests can often mean the difference between life and death,” said Dr S Suresh, director of the Fetal Care Research Foundation, a non-profit group.

Recognizing the benefits of “heel” blood tests, the foundation has asked the government that the screening be made mandatory in all hospitals. Dr Suresh, who also heads Mediscan, a private diagnostic laboratory, has submitted a recommendation on this to the state health department.

The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has initiated a multi-centric trial in the country to see if such heel blood tests should be made compulsory. As a part of this effort, Dr Suresh and his team screened over 21,000 babies born in the Government Hospital for Women and Children in Egmore for two common disorders — congenital hypothyroidism and adrenal hyperplasia.

In Egmore, three out of 1,000 were found afflicted with hypothyroidism. This is a condition of thyroid hormone deficiency, which if left untreated could lead to physical and mental retardation. The global estimation for the disorder is one in 4,000 babies.

An equal number of children were found to have congenital adrenal hyperplasia, a disorder of the adrenal gland. The global prevalence of the disease is less than 1 in 15,000 births. Such babies are born without an enzyme that is required for the adrenal gland to make hormones, such as cortisol and aldosterone. Without these hormones, the body produces more of the male sex hormone androgen.

Girls born with congenital adrenal hyperplasia usually have male genitals along with normal female reproductive organs. Boys with the condition may enter puberty when they are three or even two years old.

Dr Suresh adminstered thyroid hormones to babies afflicted with hyperthyroidism. These hormones may need to be given lifelong. Children with adrenal hyperplasia need to be given steroids every day. In some cases, they may need to undergo cosmetic surgeries to correct physical damage. “With medication, the quality of life of these children can be improved,”

source : TimesofIndia.com

The government is likely to withdraw the service tax imposed on healthcare services in the Union Budget for 2011-12 following a strong reaction from the public and the medical fraternity.

“A review is on…The government is looking at a rollback,” a finance ministry official said.

Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee had proposed to levy a 10% service tax, with an abatement of 50%, on treatment carried out at hospitals with 25 or more beds with central air conditioning and diagnostic test services.

As of now, service tax is levied only on health check-ups carried out by hospitals for employees of business entities and health services offered under insurance schemes.The Indian Medical Association has demanded withdrawal of the proposal in an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. “Such efforts of the government to earn revenue from the misery of its citizens remind us of the salt tax imposed by the British regime on innocent citizens,” the open letter said.