Delhi doctors welcome newborn screening under ANMOL scheme

Following the Delhi government’s announcement of the Advanced Newborn Monitoring and Optimal Lifecare (ANMOL) scheme, doctors in the Capital said the expanded screening will enable early diagnosis of several conditions while noting a growing willingness among parents to opt for such tests.

The scheme provides 56 diagnostic tests for newborns using a single drop of blood. Doctors said such screening could help detect conditions that often go unnoticed until symptoms become severe.

Dr. Poonam Sidana, Director of Neonatology and Paediatrics at CK Birla Hospital, said, “Earlier, conditions like lethargy or seizures were often misdiagnosed as infections or septicemia. Infants could even die without a clear diagnosis.”