Unique Methods of Management and treatment of Inherited Disorders (UMMID)

The Unique Methods of Management and treatment of Inherited Disorders (UMMID) is an initiative by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under the Ministry of Science and Technology. The UMMID initiative was introduced to establish molecular diagnostics in hospitals for the benefit of patients and create awareness about genetic disorders amongst clinicians in India. The UMMID scheme was launched on 23 September 2019.

The UMMID initiative links the well-established Medical Genetics centres in the country with the upcoming centres and set up clinical genetics facilities in the district hospitals. The genetics centre will help in improving patient care services for genetic disorders. It will also help to impart the latest medical genetics education for medical students to prepare them for the era of molecular medicine.

The UMMID tackles the inherited genetic diseases of newborn babies. It is based on the concept of ‘Prevention is better than Cure’. In the urban areas of the country, genetic disorders and congenital malformations are the third most common cause of mortality rate.

Objectives of UMMID

Due to a large population and high birth rate, consanguineous marriage is favoured in many communities that result in genetic disorders of newborns in India. The UMMID initiative aims to:

• Establish NIDAN Kendras to provide prenatal testing and diagnosis, counselling, management and multidisciplinary care in Government Hospitals where there is more patient inflow.
• Produce skilled clinicians in human genetics. 
• Undertake screening of newborn babies and pregnant women in hospitals for inherited genetic diseases at aspirational districts.

Components of UMMID

The UMMID has three components of medical care that will collaborate with close links between the establishment and training of diagnostic services. The three components of UMMID are as stated below.

Fellowship in Genetic Diagnostics

Hands-on training for doctors working in government hospitals is provided for six months. Eight departments will give training in seven training centres with state-of-the-art DNA-based diagnostic services for genetic disorders. Every training centre will train four fellows under eight departments every year, thus providing ninety-six trained doctors in genetic diagnostics in three years.

NIDAN Kendras (Diagnostic Centres)

Hospitals with committed administrators, interested doctors and basic infrastructure are selected and funded for establishing genetic laboratories. The financial support combined with the established Medical Genetics centres will help develop state-of-the-art facilities in molecular diagnostics.

Prevention of Genetic Disorders in Aspirational Districts

Each of the seven diagnostic centres that provide genetic training has adopted one aspirational district and will establish programs to prevent genetic disorders, including beta-thalassemia and screening of newborns for treatable disorders. 

The diagnostic centres will provide onsite training to the doctors in the district hospitals and create awareness about genetic disorders among the general population. It will be a prototype of an outreach program that will lead the way to incorporate genetic services in child and maternal care and take the latest genetic diagnostics to the population. 

List of NIDAN Kendras Under UMMID

The list of NIDAN Kendras under the UMMID initiative are:

• Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC), Delhi
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jodhpur
• Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), Hyderabad
• Nil Ratan Sircar (NRS) Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata
• Army Hospital Research & Referral, Delhi

List of Training Centres Under UMMID

The clinicians of the government hospitals will be given training in the following aspects:

• Biochemical Genetics
• Molecular Genetics
• Cytogenetics
• Clinical Genetics

The clinicians will be trained in the following seven training centres under UMMID: 

• Madras Medical Mission, Chennai
• Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), Lucknow
• Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), Hyderabad 
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi
• Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC), New Delhi
• National Institute of Immunohaematology (NIIH), KEM Hospital, Mumbai
• Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore

Screening of 5,000 newborn babies and 10,000 pregnant women every year for inherited genetic diseases will be done at seven aspirational districts, i.e. Yadgir, Mewat, Haridwar, Ranchi, Shrawasti, Washim and Nandurbar, through the seven training centres stated above acting as mentor institutions.