Emergency contraception helplines to be set up in 600 cities

Rita Dutta - Mumbai

In an effort to reduce unwanted pregnancies and an alarming abortion rate, the Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society of India (FOGSI), an association of more than 18,000 gynaecologists, and Reliance Infocomm have joined hands to provide a round-the-clock emergency contraception (EC) help line in 600 cities across the country.

The helpline, called “Number Lagao-Jawab Pawo”, would get technical back-up from Reliance Infocomm and a panel of gynaecologists/volunteers from FOGSI. Upon dialing the toll-free number 39700111, a patient would be linked to a gynaecologist who would advise her to go to a doctor and take emergency contraceptive pills, also known as “morning after pills”. EC pills are not available over-the-counter.

The cost of running the project and advertising it will be borne by Reliance Infocomm. Refusing to disclose the cost of the project, A G Dadwa, president, Reliance Engineering Associates Private Limited, told Express Healthcare Management, “It is a social and non-profitable venture for us. In the initial phase, the helpline will be launched in 22 cities. Within the next two months, it would be extended to 600 cities.” The cities which have been short-listed for the first phase are Hyderabad, Ghaziabad, Gurgaon, Fariabad, Jaipur, Vadodara, Nagpur, Pune, Chinchwad, Mumbai, Indore, Gwalior, Bhopal, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Meerut, Kolkata, Amritsar, Varanasi and Chennai.

Dial 39700111 for emergency contraception

For these cities, FOGSI has chosen a panel of six gynaecologists (Mandakini Parihar, Sonal Karia, P K Shah, Partha Guha Roy, Prema Kanya and Anupriya Agarwal) from Mumbai to take the calls. Experts say EC helplines, which are a common feature in the developed countries and exist even in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, have been successful in reducing abortions worldwide. According to Dr Parihar, “The helpline would reduce unwanted pregnancies by at least 50 per cent in India. It has made a tremendous impact in Sri Lanka, whereby enquiries about ECs shot up by 66,000 annually since it was launched two years back.”

India witnesses an alarming 6.7 million abortions per year and more than 80,000 women die annually during abortions, according to FOGSI.

The helpline is in alignment with FOGSI’s theme of the year “Population stabilisation with empowerment of women”, as the helpline would help to stabilise the population, which at present stands at 1027 million and to which 18 million is added every year.

Says Dr Sadhna Desai, president, FOGSI, and chairperson of this project, “If EC pills are taken within 72 hours, then a woman does not have to undergo the pain of abortion. The success rate of EC is 99 per cent.”

ECs are not similar to abortion pills. Explains Dr Sonal Karia, “It delays or prevents release of egg, avoids fertilisation of an egg or prevents a fertlised egg from attaching to the uterine wall.” EC pills contain the same hormone used in certain birth pills (progesterone only pills- Levonorgestrel). The first pill has to be taken within 72 hours and the second pill 12 hours after the first dose.

Said Dr Duru Shah, president, Mumbai Obstetrics and Gynecological Society of India, “The queries would initially be answered by gynaecologists and, depending on the response, FOGSI might train volunteers to handle the job, as is practised in call centres.”

ECPs should not be used as a regular birth control method. It is better to use a more effective birth control method with fewer side effects or a method that can protect from AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, cautioned Dr Desai.