Hyderabad: More than 500 cases in different clinics and surrogate centres in the city have come to a halt due to ‘raids’ by district medical and health officers. The clinics are not doing the work of retrieving the eggs and sperm as they are worried about the fate of the surrogate mothers and child. A senior IVF specialist explained, “There is no law as such, but the situation is very volatile. The couples are also asking too many questions and it is becoming difficult to deal with the situation. More than 500 cases which are at different stages have been affected due to these raids.”
Centres that specialise only in surrogacy, take on 25 to 30 cases in a month. Another reason for the heavy rush in Hyderabad clinics is that those NRI couples with Indian passports want to extract the maximum benefit before the law is passed.
Another senior doctor on condition of anonymity explained, “With a bill saying only a close relative or those who are part of the family of the couple, must opt to be a surrogate, it is hardly possible. In the last decade, there have hardly been any family members who have come forward to become surrogates.”
The term ‘close relative’ has neither been defined nor the exact meaning stated in the bill. The actual meaning of ‘close relative’ is open to interpretation, explained another senior doctor. With this ambiguity, doctors are approaching those clients who have decided to opt for the method. They remind them to opt for surrogacy now, when it’s still available, as it may not be later on. Queries sent by the district medical and health officer in Hyderabad to the Indian Council of Medical Research stated that Kiran Infertility Centre and Dr Padmaja’s clinics are enrolled with them for surrogacy.
The query stated that they have to wait for the Act to regulate surrogacy centres.
