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A week after a shocking surrogacy scam came to light in Hyderabad, the Telangana government has constituted a three-member committee to inspect all private In vitro fertilization (IVF) and fertility clinics in the state. The committee, headed by the Commissioner of the Health and Family Welfare Department, was set up on Saturday, August 2. It will also comprise the Chief Executive Officer of the Rajiv Aarogyasri Health Care Trust (RAHCT), and the Director of Medical Education (DME).
A Government Order (GO) announcing the committee was issued by Health Secretary Christina Z Chongthu on August 2.
The order said that many clinics were violating provisions of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021, and the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021. There were concerns over violations of established ethical guidelines such as absence of mandatory registration, lack of transparency in procedures involving gamete donation, embryo transfer and surrogacy arrangements, the order said.
The committee has been tasked with checking whether clinics are following the ART Act, the Surrogacy Act, their registration, patient consent process, gamete sourcing and maintenance of procedural documentation, the order said.
The committee has also been asked to analyse any prior complaints, FIRs and departmental action taken against any clinics, and also to identify any affected victims including oocyte or sperm donors, surrogates, and couples who had opted for surrogacy.
It has also been asked to look into any potential role or inaction of public officials or regulatory authorities, such as the Medical Council, in enabling violations.
The committee has been asked to submit a detailed report to the government within 10 days.
On July 27, the Hyderabad police arrested a fertility doctor, Namratha, for allegedly cheating a couple by promising them a child through surrogacy, but handing them over the child of another couple.
With the couple who had paid for surrogacy refusing to take custody of the baby, and the baby’s biological parents in jail for selling the baby, the Telangana Child Welfare Committee (CWC) has taken custody of the child.
Dr Namratha was found to have been running multiple branches of Universal Srushti Fertility Centre in Hyderabad, Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, despite having her medical license suspended in the past over various lapses. The clinic was also found to have a history of surrogacy fraud and child trafficking.
