Genome Analysis Centre to be established in Amaravati, says Health Minister

A large-scale genome analysis centre will be set up at the proposed Quantum Valley in Amaravati to identify genetic causes associated with rare diseases and support advanced medical research, said Minister of Health, Medical, and Family Welfare Satya Kumar Yadav.Inaugurating a genome sequencing centre at the NATCO cancer centre at the Government General Hospital in Guntur on Tuesday (September 22, 2026), the Minister said the proposed Quantum Valley centre will expand genetic testing and research, including the collection and analysis of genetic information related to cancer and rare diseases. The Guntur facility is being operated on a pilot basis.Genetic and biomarker tests would be provided free of charge to breast and lung cancer patients through the genetic testing department established at the Guntur centre. The Minister said tests that can cost up to ₹25,000 in private laboratories would be conducted free of charge at this centre.Genome sequencing can identify genetic alterations in cancer cells, providing doctors with more information to select medicines and treatment methods suited to individual patients, he stated, while adding that in the future, it may also be possible to identify the risk of hereditary diseases within families at an early stage.He said the government is also focusing on early cancer detection, as part of which free screening is being conducted for oral, breast, and cervical cancers. Of the targeted population of 4.27 crore people, around 2.65 crore have been screened so far, resulting in the identification of nearly 7,500 new cancer cases, the Minister said.Four comprehensive cancer centres in Guntur, Visakhapatnam, Kurnool, and Kadapa were developed in the first phase at a cost of ₹311 crore, he said. Advanced facilities, including linear accelerators, brachytherapy and CT simulators, have been introduced. Cancer centres are also being developed in Kakinada and Anantapur under the second phase, he said, adding that another 11 teaching hospitals will be developed as cancer centres. Published - September 22, 2026 09:13 pm IST