Bhubaneswar, July 10 (UDN): The Institute of Medical Sciences (IMS) and SUM Hospital has become the first hospital in Odisha to establish a comprehensive in-house Molecular Diagnostics and Genomics Laboratory, marking a significant milestone in the state’s healthcare sector by bringing advanced genomic testing closer to patients.
The new facility enables doctors to diagnose, classify and monitor cancers, blood disorders and inherited genetic diseases without sending samples to laboratories outside the state. Hospital authorities said the initiative will reduce waiting time for reports while making precision medicine more accessible to patients across Odisha and neighbouring eastern states.
The laboratory is equipped with advanced technologies, including Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), Fluorescence In Situ Hybridisation (FISH), cytogenetics, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real-time PCR and Sanger sequencing, allowing specialists to perform a wide range of molecular investigations under one roof.
Dr. Shivangi Harankhedkar, Head of the Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Genomics, said cancer diagnosis has evolved beyond conventional microscopic examination, with genetic profiling now playing a crucial role in determining the most effective treatment for individual patients.
“Modern medicine has entered the era of precision healthcare, where decoding a patient’s genetic profile helps doctors make more accurate diagnoses, assess disease progression and identify targeted therapies,” she said.
Dr. Harankhedkar, who received advanced training in molecular hemato-oncology at the Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer (ACTREC), Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai, said patients from Odisha previously had to depend on laboratories in metropolitan cities for sophisticated genomic tests. The new facility is expected to bridge that gap by offering advanced diagnostics within the state.
According to the hospital, genomic testing at the laboratory covers both blood cancers and solid tumours, including cancers of the lung, breast, ovary, colon, pancreas, brain, thyroid and prostate. The tests help identify genetic alterations that influence diagnosis, prognosis, targeted treatment options, drug resistance and eligibility for clinical trials.
The laboratory also provides molecular monitoring during and after treatment, enabling doctors to assess patient response more accurately and modify therapy whenever required. Specialists interpret genomic findings alongside a patient’s clinical history and tumour characteristics before recommending treatment strategies through multidisciplinary molecular tumour board discussions.
Apart from patient care, the facility is expected to strengthen medical education and research. As one of the few medical colleges in the country with a functional genomics laboratory, IMS and SUM Hospital will provide hands-on training to undergraduate and postgraduate medical students, super-specialty residents, researchers and laboratory professionals in molecular diagnostics, genomic sequencing, FISH, cytogenetics and variant interpretation.
Prof. (Dr.) Pusparaj Samantasinghar, Medical Superintendent of IMS and SUM Hospital, said the facility would particularly benefit patients from remote parts of Odisha by eliminating the need to transport biological samples over long distances, thereby reducing delays and preserving sample quality.
Hospital officials said the establishment of the genomics laboratory represents a major step towards expanding precision medicine in eastern India by integrating advanced molecular diagnostics, clinical expertise, research and medical education within a single healthcare institution.