NIMS Medical Genetics Department: A beacon of hope for rare disease patients
View of the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences in Hyderabad | Photo Credit: Nagara Gopal The Department of Medical Genetics at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Hyderabad, has emerged as a beacon of hope for patients suffering from rare genetic disorders. Established in collaboration with the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), the department has been providing state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic services for over a decade. The department treats a spectrum of rare conditions, including Gaucher Disease, Homocystinuria, Growth Hormone Deficiency, Methylmalonic Acidemia, Wilson Disease, Phenylketonuria, and Pompe Disease, among others. The NIMS Medical Genetics department was founded in 2008 as the second such department in a government institution in India. In recognition of its outstanding contributions, it was designated as a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in 2021 under the National Policy for Rare Diseases by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This designation underscores the department’s commitment to genetic diagnosis, counseling, and management of rare diseases, said Shagun Agarwal, additional professor, Department of Medical Genetics, NIMS Hyderabad. The department provides …