Duru Shah | |
---|---|
Nationality | Indian |
Occupation | Gynecologist |
Known for | Promoting Women's Health |
Children | Ameera Shah |
Duru Shah is a Mumbai-based gynaecologist academic and women activist. She is the Founder President of the PCOS Society, India and a promoter of adolescent girls and women's health and infertility in India.[1][2][3] Shah is also the promoter of Metropolis Healthcare Ltd.[4] She is also a Consultant ObGyn.: Breach Candy Hospital,[5] Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai.[6][7]
She is also the guide for postgraduate students in Obs. Gyn. for Doctorate of Medicine at Mumbai University.[8] She is the Director of Gynaecworld the center for Women's Health and Fertility, Mumbai.[9] Dr Duru Shah has authored five books and published various research articles. She is a member of the Editorial Board of The Obstetrician & Gynecologist (TOG), Climacteric and the Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences.[10] In 2000, Dr Shah initiated adolescent reproductive and sexual health project in India and got it included in the School Curriculum.[11] She is currently the Chair of the Council of Affiliated Menopause Societies (CAMS) IMS,[12] and the Vice President of the Asia Pacific Initiative on Reproduction (ASPIRE),[13] and member of the Women’s Health Vertical of C-20, India. She has been the Past President of the Federation of Obstetrics & Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), Indian Society of Assisted Reproductive (ISAR), Indian Menopause Society (IMS, India) and Chair of the Indian College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (ICOG).[14]
Shah did her medical education (MBBS) from Grant College, Mumbai[15] and holds a Post Graduate Degree in ObGyn and a Fellowship of the Royal College of ObsGyn.[15] She was a resident doctor at Nowrosjee Wadia Maternity Hospital in ObGyn during 1972-75 and an Honorary Professor of ObsGyn of the Mumbai University.[15]
Shsh started her career in 1977 at Nowrosjee Wadia Maternity Hospital in Mumbai. She worked there as a Senior Registrar and became a Lecturer at the Grant Medical College, Mumbai, where she taught young doctors about pregnancy and women's health.[16] In 1981, Shah became part time Research officer at Nowrosjee Wadia Maternity Hospital and the Indian Council of Medical Research. At the same time, she also started her own private practice.[6][15] She became an Honorary Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Mumbai University's Nowrosjee Wadia Maternity Hospital in 1985.[16] As a President of FOGSI she initiated “The Suprabha Ganga Yatra” (a 5 year project) – A Rural Women’s health program to reduce the rate of women dying during childbirth (maternal mortality) which was very high in the region through which the Ganga flows. She has been the Convenor of FOGSI’s “Violence against women” cell and she initiated the “STAR” programme (Survivor Treatment Advocacy & Responsibility) on how to correctly collect medical evidence in cases of sexual abuse.[17] As a Member of the Ethics Committee of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), she spearheaded the creation of two documents on ‘Ethical Guidance on Health Care Professional’s Responses to Violence Against Women’ and ‘Ethical Issues After Sexual Assault’.[18][19]
She initiated project Kishori - an 8 years program for urban slum Dharavi. Which focussed on community-based adolescent empowerment.[38] She also initiated a 10 year program called “Growing Up” in schools all over the country from 2000 to 2010 to educate young girls on their menstruation and puberty and adolescence.[39]
She is the founder of the "Women's Empowerment Foundation," which is now known as the Metropolis Foundation.[40] The Foundation has developed a health education app called "TooShyToAsk" with Metropolis Healthcare Limited.[41]
Dr. Duru Shah also heads the PCOS Society of India. PCOS is a long term health problem, and she aims to update physicians on the latest research in the field. She organizes digital and in-person activities to share knowledge about PCOS with physician who deal with PCOS.[42]
She is married to Sushil Shah who is the Chairman of Metropolis Healthcare and Chairs the Metropolis Foundation. She has two daughters, Aparna Shah, who is a Molecular Geneticist in Miami (USA) and Ameera Shah, who is the MD of Metropolis Healthcare, and has 3 grandchildren, Alisha, Neil and Karma.[43]