As a young 13-year-old, Ann showed an inclination towards reproductive medicine. She did her undergraduate degree in Medical Biotechnology and it was then that she found out about an option to pursue a masters degree in Clinical Embryology. It was quite competitive, though-there were only 5 seats for this specialisation all across Asia. She cracked the exam and soon was enrolled in the program at Manipal University. It was a 2-year rigorous programme but she feels grateful to have done it from such a prestigious university. There was equal importance given to the theory, practicals, and the clinical aspect along with the adjunct subjects. She believes that, with this program, she was moulded to think as both a clinician as well as a researcher.
How Iris Fertility was conceived
Before opening up her own practice, Ann worked in several different fertility hospitals across India (Manipal, Hyderabad, Rajasthan, and Kochi) and had also done a hospitation in Germany to gain experience. While running her practice is more strenuous, she made the switch for good reason.
She soon came to realise that ethical practice in the fertility field was nil, even in the most branded of hospitals. She could not digest the fact that people were willing to shed their ethics just to get their patients two pink lines on a pregnancy test. Numbers were all that mattered- clinical pregnancy rate, success rate, and biological pregnancy rates- these numbers are for the registers and nothing more. She recalls that during her Masters in Clinical Embryology in Manipal, ethics were plastered into the minds of all the students. This is not the aim of fertility medicine, she asserts. The aim should be live birth- it should be to give a couple priceless memories with their children who grows up to be healthy.
This story is from the May - June 2020 edition of Cochin Herald.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May - June 2020 edition of Cochin Herald.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
A Roadmap Out Of Pandemic, The Kerala Way
When India was just waking up to the news of COVID-19, Kerala was ready to tackle it. Here is a look at how they got through the first wave and what is in store for the newly elected government
KK Shailaja The wall of resilience and hope
“Hard times don’t create heroes. It is during the hard times when the ‘hero’ within us is revealed”, said American politician Bob Riley once, and it comes true for KK Shailaja, who helmed the health ministry in the State of Kerala when the COVID-19 pandemic unleashed its rage on humanity. From a humble background in Kannur, she was known as the nonchalant Physics teacher, whose eyes always gleamed with kindness. After announcing retirement from her position as a teacher in 2004, she went on a quest for wider horizons and to serve society as a political leader. It was her unassuming persona that made her seamlessly leave a strong impression in the minds of every person she passed by to be fondly called ‘teacher’.
Protest and reflection: A year after the death of George Floyd
Bettye and Robert Freeman were sitting in their Boston living room when they heard the clamor on the street outside.
When sky becomes the only limit
Model-actress and doctor, Anita Abraham, who hails from Chengannur, Kerala, has come a long way over the years. The multitalented Anita was brought up outside Kerala and pursued her studies, as a child in Arunachal Pradesh. The zeal for scaling the pinnacle of fame and success was so ingrained in her that it prompted her to embark on umpteen number of itineraries and equally showcase her prowess in all the endeavours she undertook.
‘C 4': Kerala's success mantra to contain COVID
Kerala continues to win in the game and can be a learning model for days to come for all. The state has done homework in developing clear-cut strategies in fighting this pandemic. Early detection of cases, enough oxygen plants, systematic coordination of ASHA workers and frontliners to name a few. I had the personal experience, of visiting the COVID testing and vaccination clinics with my parents. On top of that, the government ensured the vaccine available for the public is free of cost.
US agencies examine reports of early COVID-19 infections in Wuhan lab
US intelligence agencies are examining reports that researchers at a Chinese virology laboratory were seriously ill in 2019 a month before the first cases of COVID-19 were reported, according to US government sources who cautioned that there is still no proof the disease originated at the lab.
Vaccine hesitancy grows ahead of Thailand's mass inoculation rollout
Vaccine hesitancy has risen sharply in Thailand opinion polls show, just weeks away from the start of a mass inoculation programme and as the country fights its deadliest COVID-19 outbreak.
On the mighty road to lifting stereotypes
Letting go of one's big-city dreams and moving to a small city is a tough step for many. Mumbaikar Nithya Suresh too lived through the strange void of adapting to the slow-paced life of Kochi city after she moved out of Mumbai, three years ago. But as she was exploring her new life in a new city, Nithya found love in the unlikeliest form - Powerlifting.
Immune system has long-term defenses after mild COVID-19; children may be key carriers of virus variants
The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID19, the illness caused by the virus.
'Try anything': Japan's silverhaired cheer-dancing squad
Pompoms rustle and silver shoes flash as Japan Pom Pom practices, moving to a lively cheer dance beat. With members ages 60 to 89, they're no ordinary squad.
