Aster Medcity has expanded its specialised maternal and fetal care services with the opening of a Centre of Excellence in Fetal Medicine in Kerala. The new facility is focused on detecting fetal conditions early, monitoring pregnancies and providing coordinated care for mothers and unborn babies.
A key highlight of the launch was the introduction of Jananeeyam – “The Free Fetal Scan” Initiative. The programme is designed to help pregnant women referred from government healthcare institutions access specialised fetal diagnostic services at no cost.
Through Jananeeyam, five patients will receive free scans each day. Referrals can come from government medical colleges, district hospitals and other government institutions.
The initiative covers several important diagnostic services, including anomaly scans, 3D/4D fetal assessments, fetal echocardiography and fetal neurosonograms. Cases where an additional medical opinion is needed will also be reviewed free of charge.
The programme was inaugurated by K. Muraleedharan, Minister for Health, Family Welfare and Devaswoms, who said that successful healthcare programmes should also reach patients using the government healthcare system.
“We will work to extend good initiatives that are running well in private hospitals to government hospitals as well. The Jananeeyam programme at the Centre for Fetal Medicinein Aster Medcity is one such initiative. By giving mothers the opportunity to give birth to healthy babies in the future, a major gain is being achieved here in the field of health.”
Muraleedharan also acknowledged Aster Medcity’s contribution to the liver transplant surgery of a child from Thrissur who had been poisoned by his father.
S Ramesh Kumar, Chief Executive Officer – India 1, Aster DM Quality Care Pvt. Ltd., chaired the launch event.
The Centre of Excellence follows a multidisciplinary model, bringing specialists from fetal medicine, obstetrics, neonatology, genetics and paediatric subspecialties together. The aim is to provide coordinated treatment for both normal and high-risk pregnancies.
According to Dr. Bijoy K Balakrishnan, Senior Consultant and Programme Director, Department of Fetal Medicine, Aster Medcity, the facility has been developed around three key priorities—accurate diagnosis, timely medical intervention and continuous support for mothers during pregnancy.
The launch was attended by Dr. Nalanda Jayadev, Regional CEO, Central Kerala, Aster DM Quality Care Limited; Dr. Shuhaib Kader, Chief Operating Officer, Aster Medcity; Dr. T R John, Chief of Medical Services, Aster Medcity; Dr. Bijoy K Balakrishnan and Ms. Jeffy Stephen, Service Line Manager – Fetal Medicine.
The new centre combines advanced fetal diagnostics with specialist care, while Jananeeyam adds a public-service component by offering free scans to eligible government hospital referrals. The initiative is expected to improve access to early fetal screening and help families receive specialised care at an important stage of pregnancy.
(Photo courtesy: asterhospitals.in)