KARACHI, Oct 9: The Cytogenetic Laboratory at National Institute of Child Health (NICH) is scheduled to start operation from December this year — enabling diagnosis of constitutional diseases such as mental disorders, body dysmorphism, chromosomal abnormalities, delay in mental/physical development and reproductive disorders.

The facility, to be first of its kind in any of the government hospitals across the country, is being established by the joint efforts of Child Aid Association, Department of Cytogenetics, Texas Children Hospital-Houston, Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America and director, NICH -Karachi.

The Cytogenetic Lab Project is expected to cost Rs150 million. Donation from Khushal Fund of Rs1.6 million by MNA Afsar Jehan for the construction of the building to house the lab, by Pakistan Works Department, has already been made.

Prof Nizamul Hasan, president, Child Aid Association here on Monday mentioned that the building was expected to be completed by the end of October.

He also acknowledged donation worth US $27,000 made by the Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America (APPNA) for procurement of equipment and another Rs2 million by local philanthropists.

When functional, the laboratory will provide free services to children under-treatment at the NICH, Prof Nizamul Hasan said.

Cytogenetic testing is a procedure, where chromosome of the patients obtained from blood or tissue are cultured and then frozen at a certain stage of growth and arranged serially for examining under a special microscope for abnormalities, the senior paediatrician elaborated.

Child Aid Association has already sent a qualified professional for advanced training in Cytogenetics Technology at the Royal Marsden Hospital, London at its own expense.

It is expected that once the lab is made functional, it will provide training facilities to other local doctors and technologists in the field of cytogenetics.

The CAA president further mentioned that testing was useful in the diagnosis of foetal abnormalities, biochemical as well as that of the body structure detected on anti-natal ultrasound.

Chromosomal testing is also said to be essential for the identification of various types of blood cancer, which is the commonest type of cancer in children. It is also useful in detecting the damaged chromosomes found in other types of cancer.

The Child Aid Association (CAA), supporting the Oncology unit at the NICH since 1999, had also introduced another essential diagnostic facility for diagnosis of cancer, Flocytometry last year.—APP