Indian Society for Assisted Reproduction (ISAR), during its annual inaugural function held in Gurugram has appointed India’s renowned Gynaecologist, Dr Duru Shah as its president for 2017. Indian Society of Assisted Reproduction was instituted in 1991 by Dr Mahendra Parikh in Mumbai. The vision for the society is to bring together Medical personal allied scientists, organisations , philanthropists and institutions interested in various aspects of Assisted Reproduction for helping infertile couples and for developing newer and more efficient technologies for Family Welfare .
In her presidential speech, Dr Shah emphasised on the urgent need to include insurance coverage for infertility services to women in rural and urban areas. The Insurance Sector needs to be motivated to cover costs related to infertility treatments for women in urban areas who need to take a break from jobs in order to undergo treatment. Whilst in the rural sector, there is a need to offer good clinical services related to infertility treatment through public private partnerships with infertility clinics, which are accredited by a Professional Organization such as the Indian Society of Assisted Reproduction (ISAR).
Currently ISAR effectively working towards the accreditation of IVF clinics across states. “We intent to set ethical guidelines for IVF clinics in India. Regulation is the need of hour in this country, as the president of ISAR, I will certainly push this agenda. I dedicate 2017 as ISAR’s year of Empowerment: through Education, Ethics and Empathy” added Dr. Duru Shah.
It is believed that 7% of the general population suffers from some form of infertility. Given that India has a population of over 1.2 billion, the number of Indians suffering from infertility is huge. Through digital, social and on ground campaigns ISAR desire to spread awareness on preventive aspects of infertility.
Infertility prevention and care rank very low on the public health agenda in our country which is also facing a population pressure. There are no definitive government led schemes for couples who cannot afford infertility treatments. To truly fight this social stigma in India, awareness programs integrated with financial aid and counselling support is essential. For most women in India, Infertility is an incredibly lonely journey. A mind set change may take decades but we need to take baby steps towards bringing a societal change.
Dr. Duru Shah is one of India’s leading Gynaecologists based in Mumbai, with a professional practice spanning 35 years. Dr. Shah is the recipient of many National and International Awards, the most prominent being, the “Distinguished Merit Award” for service towards women’s health, which was awarded to her by FIGO at the World Congress in Rome, Italy in October 2012. Recognizing her work, The Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (RCOG) conferred an Honorary Fellowship on her in November 2008. She has also been recognized as the Twenty Top women achievers of Indian healthcare.
Dr Shah has held these posts in the past
- President of the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI),
- Chairman of the Indian College of the Obs. Gyn. (ICOG)
- President of the Indian Menopause Society
- President Mumbai Obstetric and Gynaecological Society (MOGS)
- President of PCOS Society of India
- Director of Digital Education for the International Menopause Society
