THURSDAY, MAY 09, 2024
VISHWAJIT RANE
Motherhood is one of life’s best feelings, as it brings alive the joy of creation of life and the fulfilment it brings. It is often said that there is no greater gift than to be able to bring life into this world. While giving birth to a child is nature’s gift to many, some are deprived of it because of many reasons. The heartache of childless couples can be felt only by those who have faced it. But now, modern advances in medical science have now made it possible that the joy of motherhood may not be denied to anyone.
The procedure, known as IVF treatment or in-vitro fertilization, is recommended by doctors worldwide after failure of other fertility treatments for problems that make it difficult or impossible to conceive and give birth to a child. Although this treatment has been in use for more than four decades, its availability in India had been limited. Moreover, the high cost it entailed made it even more difficult for childless couples to go for it.
In a revolutionary decision, the Government of Goa has decided to provide free IVF treatment to those who wish to undertake it. The decision, which is the first of its kind in the country, will bring smiles on the faces of those couples who had been waiting to become parents. It is yet another example of the State’s model of exemplary health care that has won accolades all over the country. Thus, Goa becomes the first State in the country to make this facility available to women in Goa, who now will no longer need to travel outside the State for IVF treatment. This step is initiated to bring the joy of parenthood to families, aligning with the Goa State Government's vision of holistic healthcare.
Today, the treatment is available in many big and small cities across the country, but its cost remains prohibitive, thus many childless couples continue to remain deprived of getting the bliss of parenthood. It is my firm belief that a State Government needs to take an all-inclusive and compassionate view of the well-being of the people of the State. Creating and strengthening the existing health care infrastructure is an ongoing process, which we in Goa are continuously doing. It is the result of these efforts that today Goa is counted among the top States in terms of health care facilities and their availability. This model of health care, as presented and implemented in Goa by our Government, is the result of positive intentions backed by sincere efforts, leading to extraordinary results.
Combating infertility
The facility of IVF treatment will be available to childless Goan couples free of cost at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) at Bambolim, in Goa, from September 1. The Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and intrauterine insemination (IUI)/IVF Centre, which is core to the treatment, has been launched at the super-speciality block of the GMCH, the State’s premier public health institution. It is because of a novel and unique model of utilising the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding of GMCH to procure equipment that the facility has been kept free of cost.
Public health experts say that infertility issues are faced by about one-fifth of Goa’s couples and many of them travel outside the State to avail advanced treatment for infertility, with the cost for the same in private hospitals estimated between Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 per cycle, and in case the patient undergo up to 10 cycles to conceive, the cost may go up to Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh.
The Government’s decision comes as a ray of hope to couples who had been unable to avail infertility treatment due to financial constraints. We had been aware of the immense mental anguish faced by childless couples, often leading to women going into depression. Many couples were forced to sell their gold, properties, or take loans to take the treatment to fulfill their desire for a child and a happy marriage. Many such affected people went to the extent of giving up hope of having a child. Our government had been striving to come up with a solution to this, and the CSR policy of GMCH came up as one of the best initiatives to take care of the high cost of IVF treatment. The fact that now, no patient will be charged for the IVF treatment has been welcomed wholeheartedly by the people of Goa. Already, 50 to 100 persons have registered to avail benefit under this initiative, reflecting the level of confidence the people of Goa have in the Government.
The GMCH, which will have the distinction of being the first government hospital in the country to provide IVF treatment free of cost, is a premier centre of medical care, attracting patients from outside the State as well. The GMCH Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology has been serving the community by attending to the needs of numerous patients each year. The IVF treatment requires specialised care spread over many weeks. To ensure that the entire procedure is handled seamlessly, a streamlined process has been established. Renowned infertility specialist Dr Kedar Padte will provide his expertise in the GMCH in this initiative. His experience and commitment to reproductive health will be instrumental in shaping the success of this initiative.
Integrated system
Once the guidelines are ready, patients will be directed to the ART centre for an expert committee comprising Dr Kedar Padte and others, who will confirm the decision for IVF and initiate the induction protocol. Representatives of the department are undergoing training to understand intricacies of the procedure. Many lectures on this subject have already been held, and equipment for IUI is being procured. Technical issues are being rectified. Nurses for ART will soon be trained in required procedures.
A standard operating procedure (SOP) has been created for the IVF procedure at GMCH to ensure a seamless transition from diagnosis to proper workup, counselling, and treatment. Infertility patients in need of the facility for primary sterility will be referred from the Obstetrics and Gynaecology OPD to the ART Centre, a world class facility that has been established on the eighth floor of the super speciality block. They will then be provided with a date for the necessary treatment. As an auxiliary facility, a mother and child block is being set up in GMCH, which will be integrated with the hospital’s Gynaecology Department.
Many of those who have registered for the treatment have undergone treatment at various locations outside Goa, and have spent huge amounts of money on the same, but without any result. The introduction of this IVF center in Goa will greatly benefit those who have struggled before. As part of continuously upgrading and expanding the facilities, a big Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) will be set as part of it.
Any couple living in Goa, who is unable to conceive naturally, will be able to avail of the free IVF treatment. The government has also set up a dedicated helpline number where couples can get all their queries answered and avail of free IVF treatment. There are many things about the IVF procedure that people are still unaware of. Since the treatment was not easily available so far, they had to depend on whatever information they could get from often unreliable sources. It is the endeavour of the State government to not only provide the best-possible health care to the would-be mothers, but also to keep them updated with all relevant information; so that can take the right and informed decisions.
A shining model
Behind the success of Goa’s model of health care for all are the efforts and commitment of the State’s Directorate of Health Services to provide top-notch services to the people of Goa. Gradual steps are being taken to introduce new treatments in the public health system. The use of technology to provide better medical facilities is a continuous exercise. The goal of our government is to ensure hi-tech healthcare. Goa has the distinction of being the first State to offer free breast cancer testing. The State government has been working tirelessly to improve the quality of urban as well as rural health centres and to build super specialty hospitals. It has also been decided to send a batch of 50 nurses to Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai for advanced postgraduate training in oncology and cancer patients’ treatment and care.
India has some of the highest IVF success rates in the world, and IVF treatment in major cities in India attracts large number of foreign nationals as well. With this momentous development, Goa establishes itself as a trailblazer in healthcare services. The Government of Goa is committed to meet the aspirations of the people of the State. The objective is to present a model of governance that ensures welfare and well-being of all. The State government hopes that this move will make Goa a major hub for fertility treatments in India. It is hoped that other States will soon follow suit.
(The writer is the Minister for Health, Urban Development, Town and Country Planning, Women and Child Welfare, and Forests in Government of Goa.)
