Divvy Kant Upadhyay
for Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (GA)

Mangalore, Jun 25: "Though our country is going through a population explosion on one side and it has been projected we will overtake China's population in the future, at the same time ironically infertility has become a serious issue in the Urban and Metropolitan areas of our country today," said Dr H S Ballal, Pro-chancellor of Manipal University in his inaugural address at the CME on Infertility organized by the Department of Physiology,  Kasturba Medical College here on Monday June 25.

Dr Ballal stressed on the fact that gone are those times when the woman alone was blamed for not having children owing to infertility. "Advances in medical science have helped eliminate to some extent the social stigma apart from researching and providing treatment for the problem," he added.

KMC dean Dr CV Raghuveer in his presidential address highlighted the psychological stress faced by couples suffering from the problem. "Even in the educated class we see people firmly believing myths and often blaming the woman for the infertility" he said, adding that such practices must stop with more emphasis on awareness. He also gave a detailed talk on Patho-Physiology of male infertility. 

Registrar of Manipal Univeristy, Dr Vinod Bhat pointed out that while India's population growth is as high as 1.6%, at the same time infertility rates of almost 15% exist. This same phenomenon can be seen in Sub-Saharan Africa and in Nigeria. "The problem needs to be tackled seriously as there are too many unwanted children on one hand and even too many people wanting children at the same time." he said, demanding for the medical fraternity to strongly lobby for better adoption services in the country. 

MLC and district Congress president Blasius D'Souza, guest of honour at the function recollected the visit of Mother Teresa to the city long ago and quoted her saying that " Doctors are instruments in the Hands of God,   for prosperity, the Hands and hearts should be clean," he opined.

Senior eminent doctors like Dr Mahale, Dr Ramesh Bhat, Dr Laxman Prabhu, Dr Pratap Kumar and Dr Kishan Sullya delivered scientific talks at the programme. Associate deans of KMC Dr Venkatraya Prabhu and Dr Anand Kini along with professor and head of department of OBG Dr SR Nayak moderated the scientific sessions.