PTU Centre of Excellence launched at KGH

Visakhapatnam : The most common reason for women to undergo a hysterectomy in India is heavy menstrual bleeding, said managing director India and country division head South Asia, Bayer’s Pharmaceuticals Division Shweta Rai.

As part of the ‘Preserve the Uterus’ nationwide campaign of Bayer’s Pharma division, the first Preserve the Uterus (PTU) Centres of Excellence in the state launched at King George Hospital in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.

Speaking on the occasion, Shweta Rai said, “Our initiative, Preserve the Uterus, has made a significant difference over the years in educating doctors and letting women know that there are alternative methods available to treat heavy menstrual bleeding while also preserving the quality of their lives.”

The drive, launched in collaboration with the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India (FOGSI), intends to build awareness about the negative impact of unnecessary hysterectomies in the country. The PTU Centres of Excellence in Vizag are first-of-their-kind in the country. The first-ever training session in Vizag provided healthcare professionals with knowledge on effective, non-surgical treatments for heavy menstrual bleeding. This programme aims to enhance patient care and offer alternatives to unnecessary surgical procedures.

The event at King George Hospital included a training session for doctors from government run institutions like Victoria Hospital and district level hospitals as well as ASHA workers and other healthcare professionals.

Superintendent of King George Hospital P. Sivananda said, “The Preserve the Uterus training sessions are an important initiative to bring down the rate of unnecessary hysterectomies in Andhra Pradesh and improve women’s health. The Centres of Excellence are the first in the country and we are elated to be taking the lead in addressing this health challenge. The training will be beneficial to upskill healthcare professionals so that a hysterectomy becomes the last option to treat conditions such as heavy menstrual bleeding.”

The second Centre of Excellence will be facilitated at Victoria Hospital.

In recent years, hysterectomies have gained attention in India’s health policy due to high prevalence. The National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-2021) shows that the rate of hysterectomy in women across India aged 30-39 years is 3.3 percent, with the highest rate of 8.7 per cent observed in Andhra Pradesh.