Dr Shantabai Gulabchand Oration on Cross-Border Reproductive Tourism at the ET2010, Lavasa

Breaking News: Surrogacy not for married couples only – singles and gays will have legal rights to have surrogate babies

Single men, single women, gays and lesbians may soon get the legal sanction to undergo surrogacy in India.

The draft bill legalizing the surrogacy process in India has provided for Single parenthood by allowing “Unmarried Couples” and “Single Persons” from India and abroad to have children in India using ART procedures and surrogate mothers.

By conferring the right to have children on unmarried couples and single persons, the bill attempts to achieve several historic feats – legalizing commercial surrogacy, single parenthood, live-in relationships and entitling gays and lesbians to start families using surrogate mothers – at one go.

The bill proposes to set up a mechanism to regulate and supervise surrogacy in India.

The bill, with potential to rewrite the social landscape, may be tabled in the monsoon session of Parliament if the Union Cabinet clears it.

Read more about this on http://epaper.hindustantimes.com//artMailDisp.aspx?article=21_06_2010_001_020&typ=1&pub=264

Israel: Wishing You A Happy Independence Day

I was pleasantly surprised when I received this appended email from Orna Sagiv, the Consul General of Israel for India. The Israelis did not have to do this for our girl-children! Think about it….And please watch the movie clip as well.
India, the world’s biggest democracy, and Israel, one of the tiniest democracies, surprisingly have much in common.  Both are the cradles to the world’s most dominant religions. Thus, for over 5000 years they have sprouted the foundations of human culture, as we know it today. Both these countries have many sites, which are considered the holiest to the largest number of followers all over the globe. Both countries received their independence from the British in the late 40s and both have ever since been trying to recuperate from the aftermath of geographic division based on religion. We have many cultural and social similarities. We both built our nations from scratch; we value education and hard work. We are quick to adapt to a new methodologies and we thirst for success and recognition.India and Israel are among the most significant democracies of the modern world. People are encouraged to make choices and more importantly be heard.
Given India’s strong scientific and technological base, Israel is keen on strengthening professional medical ties with India.
If we have to emulate a nation in education, nation-building, defence, education, research, science, technology & National-pride, it should be only Israel.
We are natural allies…will get closer as these turbulent & violent years pass by! Whether Israelis & Indians want it or not, I see a stronger partnership between these vibrant democracies in the years to come.

Channel 2 Interview on Surrogacy, Israel – May 2009

Indo-China Bhai Bhai!

The MOGS Indo-Israeli Gynecological Endoscopy Workshop & Conference

The MOGS academic year began with a memorable and hugely successful event. Our first academic event -The MOGS Indo-Israeli Workshop on Gynecologic Endoscopy was held on 25th & 26th April 2009 at ITC Grand Central, Parel, Mumbai. This was organized by the MOGS Team 2009-10 headed by Dr Gautam Allahbadia (President, MOGS 2009-10) (yours truly) and Dr Ashwini Bhalerao-Gandhi (Secretary, MOGS 2009-10). Dr Sulbha Arora and Dr Reena Wani worked hard as Program Conveners to make the conference a grand success. Here I must mention that the Congress/Workshop planning was entirely Sulbha’s baby & was done with pinpoint precision. Yashesh Shah from Drake Medical (Distributors of Richard Wolf GmBH, Germany) and his excellent team of engineers really worked on this project like possessed men. All the instrumentation was pre-approved from the Israeli surgeons in Tel Aviv & the missing instrumentation was especially flown in from the Richard wolf head-offices in Germany. Gurunandan Masurkar & his AV Medicon engineering team laid down a fibre-optic cable between KEM Hospital Gynecology OR and the Banquet Hall at ITC Grand Central. The trial run was made on Friday to rule out any bloopers on the workshop day.

The Pre-Congress Workshop on Saturday 25th april 2009 was conducted at the KEM Hospital with the support of the entire Gynecology Department headed by Prof SV Parulekar. The Coordinators for the Workshop were Dr Anahita Chauhan and Dr Niranjan Mayadeo. The Operating Team included Dr Motti Goldenberg & Dr Chen Goldchmit from Israel as well as Dr Rajendra Sankpal, Dr Pritesh Naik, Dr Vivek Salunke & Dr Ameya Padmawar from Deccan Fertility Clinic & Keyhole Surgery Center (Richard Wolf Center of Excellence for Gynecological Endoscopy), Shivaji Park , Mumbai. Surgical procedures were demonstrated by the operating team and relayed live to the attending delegates at ITC with a one way video link & a two way audio link.. The same procedures were also relayed simultaneously to the KEM Main Lecture Theatre for the benefit of post graduate students & the KEM Faculty. We are grateful to Drake Medical & Richard Wolf for undertaking the entire sponsorship for this cutting edge CME program. The morning live surgery session at ITC Grand Central was ably chaired by Dr Kiran Coelho, Dr Makrand Masrani and Dr Swati Allahbadia . The post-lunch live surgery session was chaired by Dr Sudhir Gokral, Dr Kevin Quadros and Dr Sudha Tandon. Almost the entire gamut of Gynecological Endoscopic Surgical cases were demonstrated by the Indo-Israeli team. Ovarian Endometrioma Excision, Adhesiolysis, Laparoscopic Hysterectomies, Lap Myomectomies, Hysteroscopic Adhesiolysis, Hysteroscopic Myoma Resection and Hysteroscopic Tubal Recanalization amongst other diagnostic cases were demonstrated via a digital beam to ITC Grand Central which is almost a kilometer away from the OR. The Israeli team felicitated the Head of Dept., Prof SV Parulekar for having hosted one of the most successful & flawless workshops for the MOGS (see Video). One must mention the generous & unstinting support from the Director & Dean, Seth GS Medical College & KEM Hospital – Prof. Sanjay Oak. With such a young and dynamic Director of Medical Education, I’m sure KEM Hospital will be a role model for other Medical Institutions in the country! The best part according to me was the live interaction between the surgical team and the discerning audience!

The Workshop/Conference had an attentive “glued-to-the-seat” 150+ delegates and 22 post graduate students. The Scientific Program covered varied topics & interesting cases of Gynecologic Endoscopy; and the contents were highly appreciated by attending delegates.The conference on Sunday, 26th April 2009 started with a session on Invited Videos. International and national experts enthralled the audiences with their expertise. Dr Pritesh Naik’s video was one of the highlights of this session.The official Conference inauguration began with the President’s Introductory speech followed by the National anthems of both countries. This moment brought tears to many eyes & there was a strange surge of pride running through the hall hearing & watching the Jana Gana Mana first & then the Hatikva (see Videos)! Im sure the Israeli duo were moved by a hall full of Indian Medical Professionals standing alongside them honoring both the countries for this joint continuing medical education mission.

The MOGS Indo-Israeli Keynote Address was delivered on ‘Modern Endoscopic Management of Asherman’s Syndrome’ by Dr Chen Goldchmit, President of the Israel Society of Gynecologic Endoscopy.

This was followed by an interesting Panel Discussion on Complications of Gynecologic Endoscopy moderated by Dr Rajendra Sankpal. The panelists were Dr Motti Goldenberg, Dr Chen Goldchmit, Dr Prakash Trivedi, Dr Pritesh Naik, Dr Vasant Kawade, Dr Kiran Coelho and Dr Kusum Zaveri.

Invited Lectures were delivered by Dr Mufazzal Lakdawala on ‘Stretching the Limits of Laparoscopic Bariatric Surgery’; Dr Ravi Ramadwar on ‘Pediatric Laparoscopy: Sky is not the Limit’ and Dr Rajendra Sankpal on ‘Laparoscopic Myomectomy: When do you call it a day?’. Seeing is Believing – We had focussed on videos in this meeting & we had a veritable feast. The MOGS will now be offering the Workshop & Congress proceedings on sale in India & abroad. Proceeds of the same will be used for charity.

Post Lunch there was a Competitive Video Session in two halls simultaneously. Eight-minute videos with finished soundtracks pertaining to Gynecologic Endoscopy were presented by various speakers and judged by a panel of four experts in each hall. All the videos presented were of excellent quality making it a tough competition. The three award winning videos were presented by:

1st – Dr Makrand Masrani – Lost & Found Department of Operative Laparoscopy (41.50/50)
2nd – Dr Nagendra Sardeshpande – Laparoscopic Correction of Uterine Inversion (39.25/50)
3rd – Dr Kundan Ingale – Role of Endoscopy in Genital Tuberculosis (39.00/50)

Makarand walked away with a hand-engraved silver plaque presented by our Israeli Duo – Motti & Chen.

The coup-de-resistance was the much-awaited MOGS Dr Subhash J Penkar & Dr Marie Pereira Silver Jubilee Oration which was delivered by Dr Motti Goldenberg, recipient of two Golden Hysteroscope Awards at the International Congress of Gynecologic Endoscopy. The subject of his oration was ‘Hysteroscopic Resection of Intramural Myoma’. The wonderful talk with the rarest of rare videos was enjoyed by all.

Eleven pharmaceutical and instrumentation companies exhibited stalls during the conference. The Banqueting facilities were appreciated by one and all. The famous Bukhara & Peshawari cusine took even the most hardened-conference-attendees by surprise. The food was outstanding. Our kudos to the ITC Grand Central team – in particular Mr Zubin Songadwala (GM) and Mr Vishrut Gupta who is coordinating all 7 academic events this year for MOGS!

First Israeli gay man gets ‘maternity’ leave

The National Insurance Institute authorized Israel’s first-ever “maternity” leave for a male couple on Thursday. Yonatan Gher, director of Jerusalem’s nonprofit Open House Pride and Tolerance organization, has received institute approval of a 64-day leave from work on the occasion of the birth of his biological son, born of a surrogate mother in India. His partner of seven years commenced formal adoption procedures, so that the child will be formally recognized as his as well.
Despite confirmation of the leave, Gher has not received an answer to his request for reimbursement of NIS 10,000 in hospitalization costs (Gher and his partner also stayed in the hospital prior to the delivery) from the NII.
The process began two years ago, when the couple realized formal adoption by a single man or two gay men was not an option here. They did not want to agree to joint parenthood with an Israeli woman, because they said it would expose the child to a situation similar to divorce.
They opted instead for IVF treatment through Rotunda-CHR, a Mumbai clinic(www.iwannagetpregnant.com), and chose the donor of the egg and a surrogate mother. They returned to Israel with their son in November 2008, and Gher took leave. Earlier this month he requested that his leave be acknowledged by the NII, and says he was “surprised” to have received a positive reply within a few weeks, without needing to take any additional action or submit an appeal. Gher sees the decision as a significant achievement. “What we have here is the establishment taking responsibility for a process that had been forced upon us,” he explained. “We have no legal possibility of having a child with a surrogate mother in Israel. Because it won’t allow that, the state is obliged to share with us the costs of the alternative, by the very fact of recognizing the maternity leave.”
The overall cost of the IVF procedure, including all expenses, is estimated by Gher to be over NIS 130,000. Meanwhile, his partner’s request for a leave is presently being debated at a labor court.
New Family organization lawyer Irit Rosenblum, who represents the couple, praised the NII decision. “This is an important milestone on the way to equity for the rights of the same-sex family in Israel. Up to now, the approach of the institute was detrimental to the rights and welfare of children in such families,” she said.
“The purpose of maternity benefits is to allow a devoted parent to answer the most important basic needs of an infant during the first months of its life,” Rosenblum added. “The needs of a male and female parents are identical in this situation, and the time has come for the legislator and the authorities to face reality and prevent gender discrimination in basic family rights.”
Tel Aviv’s District Labor Court is presently debating a precedent-setting lawsuit by two men seeking leave following the birth of their daughter from a surrogate mother in the United States.

Garfield Forever

The Response To Terrorists

Our First Astronaut Returns To India On Christmas Day