Abilities of Health Care Centers towards Genetic Services: A Study from an Indian Coastal District

Abstract

Introduction: In India, the services for genetic diseases are mostly ignored in the community health system.

Aim: The present study targets to focus on the available amenities and management practices for treating genetic diseases in the district health system.

Materials and methods: The Visakhapatnam district in India was selected for the survey. A cross-sectional survey of health facilities related to genetic diseases in government and private health sectors was conducted. From the government health establishments, 597 Sub-centers (SCs), 82 Primary Health Centers (PHCs), 12 Community Health Centers (CHCs), 3 District Hospitals (DHs), 2 Area Hospitals (AHs), 1 Medical College (MC) and 3 Referral Hospitals (RHs) were studied. In respect of private health institutions, 80 Corporate Hospitals (CHs), 62 Diagnostic Laboratories (DLs) and 3 Medical Colleges (MCs) were selected for the survey. From these, the existing manpower and their disease management abilities were also examined. Quantitative and qualitative investigation methods were used to estimate the managing operations on genetic complaints at the selected health facilities.

Results: The findings indicate that satisfactory level of manpower was in place at more than 70% of the health centers, but none of the medical staff have gone through any operative training on genetic disease control and hence are lacking effective knowledge in this field. A few basic infrastructural and diagnostic amenities for managing genetic diseases were available at the District hospital of Visakhapatnam.

Conclusion: By the facility strengthening and advanced policy resolutions, it is possible to provide progressive disease management in the district health system