PerkinElmer, Inc, a global leader focused on improving the health and safety of people and their environment, announced the opening of India’s First Maternal, Fetal, Newborn Health Laboratory & FMF Accredited Training Center in Chennai. The inauguration of the PerkinElmer Health Sciences laboratory will help expand its fetal, maternal and neonatal health screening capability in India.

The new laboratory, located in Chennai, will feature PerkinElmer’s advanced technologies for diagnosing common and serious health issues in expecting mothers and babies in India, including prenatal testing for Down Syndrome and other genetic disorders, maternal testing for pre-eclampsia, diabetes, thyroid disorders, and infectious disease, and newborn testing for potentially fatal inherited and metabolic disorders.

Speaking at the event, Fedja Bobanovic, president PerkinElmer India said, “The opening of India’s First Maternal, Fetal, Newborn Health Laboratory highlights our firm commitment to the healthcare needs of the country. Through this laboratory in Chennai we hope to provide mothers and babies across India with world-class diagnostic and testing facilities.”

Ann-Christine Sundell, president, Genetic Screening, PerkinElmer, said, “PerkinElmer is delighted to announce the opening of our new laboratory in Chennai which brings greater availability of fetal, maternal and newborn screening to mothers and children in India. Of the over 25 million babies born annually in India today, only a small percentage have access to medical screening to detect and treat health issues. In partnership with local leaders in fetal medicine, we look forward to improving family health outcomes.”

In support of the company’s fetal and maternal health programme, PerkinElmer is also proud to announce its collaboration with MediScan Systems, led by founder Dr S Suresh, a leading Fetal Medicine Specialist and sonologist in India. MediScan has recently been certified by Dr Kypros Nicolaides, director of the Fetal Medicine Foundation UK, as the first official Fetal Medicine Foundation Training Center in India.

Dr Suresh, director of Mediscan Systems, said, “We are very excited about our partnership with PerkinElmer because working together we can now bring the highest quality fetal and maternal health diagnostics to young Indian families all over India.”