STO to hold prenatal and newborn screening workshop

State Trading Organization (STO) has announced plans to hold a workshop ahead of the prenatal and newborn screening services scheduled to be launched in Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

According to STO, the two-day workshop will begin at IGMH on Wednesday.

STO has already supplied the medical equipment and other resources needed to launch the two new services at IGMH.

STO Medical’s Senior General Manager Ahmed Shifan told Sun that the reason why STO was playing such a leading role launching the new services and conducting a workshop ahead of the launch of the services was due to significant positive impact it would have on the local healthcare sector.

“Discussions were held with IGMH doctors regarding the machine needed to conduct screening and tests for newborns and expectant mothers, and the necessary arrangements to provide the services were conducted today. These tests were previously done either by travelling out of Maldives or by sending samples abroad. This, in addition to improving the services of local healthcare facilities, will be a huge convenience to locals who want these services,” said Shifan.

Prenatal screening will allow parents to identify whether their babies are more or less likely to have certain birth defects or genetic disorders through laboratory tests, while newborn screening involve testing babies in their first days of life for certain disorders and conditions that can hinder their normal development.

The services are expected to identify causes for infant mortality, improve healthcare services for infants and improve the chances of saving the lives of infants who are at risk.