Pre-wedding screening ..Bonding Tree, launched the pre-marriage check-up clinic where couples can visit individually or with families and consult physicians and psychologists.

TT, 5 March 2019, Calcutta: A city hospital has launched a pre-marriage clinic to help couples strengthen their bond, avoid conflict and understand their compatibility.

Ruby General Hospital, in association with a medical organisation Bonding Tree, has launched the pre-marriage check-up clinic where couples can visit individually or with families and consult physicians and psychologists.

"This initiative is aimed at creating pre-marital awareness. When a couple decides to get married, how often do they or their family members think of psychological, emotional and biological compatibility? If that is not done, then in certain situations the couple might face problems," said D.P. Samaddar, director, medical affairs, Ruby General Hospital.

The screening will include consultation with psychologists besides medical tests such as HIV 1& 2, blood group and Rh typing and thalassaemia.

The idea was prompted by a flood of enquiries about premarital health checkups.

"Couples were coming to us for pre-marital health check-ups. Some wanted to get tests done without a prescription. There were couples who decided to separate apprehending certain things after getting the test reports but not fully understanding them," said Subhasish Datta, general manager, operations, at Ruby General Hospital.

"This will be an awareness programme because emotionally couples have their own desires and expectations," psychologist Sukanta Mitra said..