The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has formed a working committee to initiate in-vitro fertilization (IVF) facilities in all Mumbai civic-run medical colleges, reports said on Monday. The BMC is aiming to provide IVF treatment at a subsidised cost of Rs 25,000-30,000 per cycle with the King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEM) center serving as a blueprint for other hospitals to follow, according to reports, officials said.
The announcement was made after Parel-based KEM hopsital took the initiative to collaborate with two of its alumni members to establish an IVF centre, according to a Times of India report.
BMC’s additional municipal commissioner, Sudhakar Shinde has confirmed that the municipal hospitals aim to provide the IVF facility to infertile couples who might face challenges in affording private treatment.
The BMC committee panel group would consist of doctors from the gynecology departments of KEM, BYL Nair in Mumbai Central, LTMG in Sion and R N Cooper Hospital, along with experts from other facilities.
As per the report, there has been a significant rise in couples seeking medical assistance to conceive over the past few decades. IVF treatment is primarily offered in the private sector, where the cost of a treatment cycle could amount to lakhs.
BMC centers aim to provide the treatment at a subsidised cost of Rs 25,000-30,000 per cycle, a senior civic official told the publication. The KEM center is expected to serve as a blueprint for other hospitals to adopt a similar approach, it said.
In January, KEM Hospital signed an memorandum of understanding (MOU) with two of its former students, Dr Anjali and Dr Aniruddha Malpani, who are now IVF specialists, to establish a center in the Parel hospital.
Dean Dr Sangeeta Ravat has said that the civil work has already commenced and they anticipate starting the center in three to four months. “We intend to start hiring manpower shortly,” she said.
Notably, Mumbai’s first test-tube baby was born at KEM Hospital on August 6, 1986.
Dr Anjali Malpani, the founder-director of Malpani Infertility Clinic in Mumbai, is credited with pioneering India’s first sperm bank in 1990 and conducting the country’s first successful pregnancy using GIFT (gamete intrafallopian transfer).
Infertility a Key Concern in India
Infertility is a rising concern in India, estimated to affect around 10 per cent of adults, according to the report. Several factors, including delayed marriages, lifestyle changes and environmental influences are believed to contribute to this issue. Both men and women in India experience infertility, with conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, low sperm count and other medical conditions being common causes.
KEM Dean Dr Sangeeta Ravat said while awareness about infertility and advancements in assisted reproductive technologies is growing, access to these treatments remains uneven across the country, with better facilities found in urban areas.
She further stated that if public hospitals in larger cities offer these facilities, more couples will be able to afford the treatment, improving the accessibility of reproductive care for those in need.
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