DMHO Mandates Registration Of Fertility Centres
The legislation, which has been in effect since December 2021, requires all fertility centres to register online with the district medical and health officer's office to ensure proper regulation and monitoring of reproductive health services.
Visakhapatnam: District medical and health officer Dr P. Jagadeeswara Rao has announced that all fertility centres operating in Visakhapatnam's urban and rural areas must comply with mandatory registration requirements under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and Surrogacy Act 2021.
The legislation, which has been in effect since December 2021, requires all fertility centres to register online with the district medical and health officer's office to ensure proper regulation and monitoring of reproductive health services.
Visakhapatnam district currently has 44 approved ART centres operating across three categories which is ART Level-1 Centres with 10 facilities offering Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) services, ART Level-2 Centres with 23 facilities providing both IUI and In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) services and ART Banks with 11 specialised facilities for egg and sperm storage.
Additionally, 9 centres have been approved for surrogacy services under the Surrogacy Act 2021.
The surrogacy approval process involves multiple layers of oversight to ensure ethical practices. Couples seeking surrogacy must first receive medical clearance from a three-member medical board comprising the head of gynecology department at King George Hospital (KGH), the head of pediatrics department, and the district medical and health officer.
Following medical board approval, couples must obtain legal certification from a court judge before receiving final permission from a committee chaired by the District Collector and the district medical and health officer.
DMHO P. Jagadeeswara Rao warned that legal action will be taken against unregistered fertility centres operating in violation of the ART and Surrogacy Act 2021. He emphasised that all recognised centres must maintain transparency and adhere to established ethical standards in their operations.
Unregistered fertility centres have been directed to complete their registration immediately through the official government portal at https://registry.artsurrogacy.gov.in/signup.
