India, April 15 -- For six long years, a 29-year-old tailoring assistant from Dharavi endured relentless pelvic pain, heavy periods, and the quiet heartbreak of not being able to become a mother.

The Dharavi resident's symptoms were typical of Endometriosis - a chronic condition in which tissue similar to the uterine lining grows outside the uterus, causing inflammation, scarring and infertility. But private hospitals quoted over Rs.1 lakh for laparoscopy, a minimally invasive surgical procedure using which doctors could examine the insides of her abdomen and remove any lesions.

"We simply couldn't afford it," said the tailoring assistant. "Then a neighbour, who was being treated at Cama hospital, told me about their free laparoscopy se...