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By Vidya Shivram
Dr Amy Jones's contribution to mankind is teaching
medical centres to implement a new infertility treatment technique
She is all 25. A love for travelling combined
with a love for work appears to have brought Dr Amy Jones to Mumbai.
An embryologist by profession, Jones is collaborating
with Malpani Fertility Services by assisting them in the
specialised technique of ICSI.
ICSI (pronounced 'eeksee') is the technique of
intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection, anew infertility treatment which
uses micro-manipulation technology (whereby a sperm is injected
into an egg using specialised instruments) to treat infertile men.
Born in Tennessee in the US, Jones pursued her
education in Atlanta. It was there that she began working on animals
at the Non-Human Primate research centre (popularly known as YERKES).
"I love animals," she states.
But her expertise in the use of micro manipulators soon became known
and the Reproductive Biology Research Centre (RBA) invited her to
assist them.
"I don't regret giving up animal research,"
says Jones. "For one thing, there is little money in it. Besides,
government grants are restricted because of animal rights groups.
There are just too many hurdles."
Jones had to quickly master the micro manipulator
to do ICSI on patients. "Once you know how to use the instrument,
you can work on a variety of techniques yourself. Teaching yourself
is the best way to learn," she says.
She points out that unlike in the UK where there
is a law limiting the number of embryo implants to three, in India
there is no such law.
Talking of the culture difference, Jones recounts
an instance where an Indian lady was willing to donate eggs to another
who had a deficiency. "Such generosity can be seen only in
India!" she exults.
Such differences there may be, but Jones emphatically
declares that the urge for parenthood is the same everywhere. "There
have been cases in the US where people have mortgaged their houses
to pay for fertility treatment!" she recounts. While in India
ICSI treatment costs about Rs 80,000 (for a single cycle), it is
$10,000 in the US and £ 3000 in UK.
On a lighter note, Jones recalls, "On hearing
of my work in India, many asked me, 'Why India? Don't they have
enough people as it is?'"
While she plans to be home for Christmas
and has several offers waiting for her there, the lady is clear
that she will continue to travel.
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