Archive · 6 Sep 2026
KGH Lab Finds Genetic Haemoglobin Disorders In 94 Samples
A new laboratory at King George Hospital checks blood for inherited problems involving haemoglobin.
Haemoglobin is the part of blood that helps carry oxygen around the body.
The lab tested 121 samples and reported finding disorders or carrier conditions in 94 of them.
These included sickle cell disease, sickle cell trait and different forms of thalassemia.
The tests and related medical services are free.
The laboratory serves four districts, including remote tribal areas.
Special containers and cold temperatures are used to keep blood samples safe while they travel.
Hospital departments are treating children and adults and helping families understand inherited conditions.
Doctors say early testing and counselling can help people receive care sooner.
The Centre of Competence laboratory at King George Hospital has detected genetic haemoglobin disorders in 94 of 121 tested samples.
Reported findings include sickle cell trait, sickle cell disease, thalassemia, thalassemia major and combined sickle cell-thalassemia.
The laboratory serves Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and Alluri Sitarama Raju districts with free testing, counselling and clinical management.
It uses high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis and variant newborn screening, with samples transported at 2–8°C.
KGH departments are providing transfusions, medicines, vaccination monitoring, adult care, pregnancy screening and genetic counselling.
- Who
- The Centre of Competence laboratory at King George Hospital, supported by KGH departments and the state government, is conducting the testing and care.
- What
- The laboratory is detecting inherited haemoglobin disorders and providing testing, genetic counselling and clinical management.
- When
- The laboratory opened in May 2026 and had tested the reported samples by the time of the article.
- Where
- King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam; it serves Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram, Srikakulam and Alluri Sitarama Raju districts.
- Why
- The initiative aims to detect disorders early, provide timely treatment and reduce their impact on future generations.
- Samples tested
- 121
- Samples reported with disorders or carrier status
- 94, or 77.7% of tested samples
- Reported sickle cell findings
- 33 samples with sickle cell trait (HbAS) and 23 with homozygous sickle cell disease (HbSS)
- Reported thalassemia findings
- 10 samples with thalassemia and six with thalassemia major
- Testing methods
- High-performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis and variant newborn screening
- Centre infrastructure
- Infrastructure worth ₹2.85 crore, with ₹16.93 lakh allocated annually for maintenance and ₹45.54 lakh for reagents and testing kits
- Sample transport
- Blood is collected in EDTA tubes and transported in cold boxes at 2–8°C