Centre to tighten hold on assisted reproductive technology clinics

“We can’t ensure a dark-skinned child, in contrast to the couple, can we?” asks Dr R. Aruna Ashok, fertility consultant, Nova IVF Fertility, Chennai.

But the issue is how many times should the recipient mother receive the eggs or how many times can the donor give, do all the fertility clinics monitored in a booming market or should India become the hub of surrogacy and donor country?

“The amendments proposed in the bill are very useful from the patients’ point of view. They aim to enforce uniform guidelines across the country on the use of IVF facilities and insist on maintaining donor registry,” says Dr Aruna.

Apart from protocols on patients’ safety, there would be guidelines on maintaining the quality of laboratories, quality of doctors and staff besides inspection by authorities,” she says.

At present, any hospital can establish the fertility clinic and obtain eggs and sperms from agencies and offer solutions to childless couples. A woman who donates her eggs could be paid anywhere up to Rs 50,000. There are some premium donors – having the characteristics of an actor or actress, who are paid a hefty sum by the recipients.

“IVF experts don’t choose donors. We try to comply with the requests of our patients. There are some who ask for the complexion of the actress or actor, there was a patient who wanted the donor to be a Muslim and in another case, the couple wanted the donor to be Brahmin,” says Dr D. Dakshayani, fertility consultant, Motherhood Birthing Botique.

As scientifically involved persons, fertility experts attempt to make the dreams of the couples materialise. “The new bill will regulate the IVF centres, especially their functioning and prevent India from becoming the hub of surrogacy or embryo source market for foreigners,” adds Dr Dakshayani.

The amendment aims to cap the number of donations to three times and also limit the number of IVF intervention to three times a year.

“The new regulation will be a big blow to the fertility market, which as per industry estimates may overtake the IT sector. South India is comparatively better placed than North India, especially places like Gujarat where it is a booming market. Well, the mushrooming of ART centres is something questionable,” she says. As though endorsing her view, Dr Aruna adds, “fertility clinics could be operated from small places. There is no regulation or monitoring now.”