Centre, states urged to increase number of endometriosis health experts

Hyderabad, June 7 (IANS) The Endometriosis Foundation of India, headquartered at Hyderabad, has called for urging the state and central governments and Medical institutes to increase endometriosis health experts in the country to diagnose and treat more than 4.2 crore patients.

The Foundation, which was started with the aim of creating awareness and providing helping hands, will submit a proposal to the state and central governments along with medical institutes, stressing the urgent need to have more endometriosis medical professionals in the country.

On an average 1 in 10 women suffers from endometriosis and a total of over 42 million women in India are presently suffering. WHO norms say doctor-patient ratio should be in the range of 1:1000. With registered allopathic doctors and 5.65 lakh AYUSH doctors, the doctor-population ratio in the country is 1:834. The country has only a handful of doctors who do endometriosis excision surgeries.

Dr. Vimee Bindra Founder Endometriosis Foundation of India said, "Endometriosis is a significant yet underdiagnosed and underfunded medical condition affecting millions of women. It is a chronic condition affecting approximately 10 per cent of women of reproductive age worldwide, which translates to millions of women in India alone. Despite its prevalence, endometriosis remains underdiagnosed, often misunderstood, and inadequately addressed within the Indian healthcare system."

She explained that the purpose of their representation is to outline a comprehensive plan for creating awareness about endometriosis and improving the diagnosis, treatment, and support for women affected by the condition in India over the next five years and emphasizing the need to create more facilities for endometriosis specialisation in medical institutes and to have many more endometriosis specialists to treat the staggering patients.

"Our proposal among others includes a comprehensive National Endometriosis Awareness and Action Plan aimed at enhancing public awareness, improving early detection and diagnosis, and providing better support and treatment options for those affected. The five-year plan comprises public awareness campaigns, educational initiatives, capacity-building measures, research and development, and partnerships with stakeholders," she said.

Endometriosis is estimated to affect 1 in 10 individuals of reproductive age, making it as common as diabetes. However, due to under diagnosis and misdiagnosis, it can often take an average of 7 to 10 years for an individual to receive a correct diagnosis.