Lt Gen Daljit Singh Inaugurates State-of-the-Art Genome Sequencing Lab at AFMC Pune

The NGS technology offers extensive applications across various healthcare domains, including inherited diseases, oncology, transplant medicine, and reproductive medicine.

Lt Gen Daljit Singh, Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) and Senior Colonel Commandant of the Army Medical Corps, inaugurated a cutting-edge Genome Sequencing Lab at the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC) in Pune on June 27, 2024. This new lab is equipped with state-of-the-art Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) facilities, featuring advanced “Nextseq 2000” and “Miniseq” analyzers.

The NGS technology offers extensive applications across various healthcare domains, including inherited diseases, oncology, transplant medicine, and reproductive medicine. This advanced technology significantly enhances the capabilities of the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) by enabling precise diagnosis of rare genetic disorders, molecular prognostication of malignancies, and facilitating organ transplantation. This facility at AFMC Pune is the second such facility in the Armed Forces, following the NGS facility launched by DGAFMS at the Army Hospital (Research & Referral) in New Delhi earlier this year on January 23, 2024.

The inauguration event saw the presence of the Dean and Officiating Commandant of AFMC Pune, the Commandants of Command Hospital Southern Command, the Army Institute of Cardio-Thoracic Sciences Pune, and the Additional DGAFMS (Medical Research & Health), along with other senior officers from AFMS.

The establishment of the Genome Sequencing Lab at AFMC Pune will not only serve the Armed Forces but also contribute to the broader medical community through groundbreaking medical research and improved diagnostics. This facility will foster innovation in medical science, leading to better healthcare outcomes, which is a cornerstone of national development.