National registry on ART on the cards

The registration of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) clinics and ART centres, including sperm banks, will be made mandatory under the proposed regime. Even foreigner couples seeking a child through surrogacy and surrogate mothers will be listed in the registry.

“The baseline data can be formed after gathering information on the number of clinics, centres, patients, conception, children born,” said Dr R S Sharma, Deputy Director General, Division of Reproductive Health and Nutrition, ICMR.

He was speaking on the sidelines of Dr T C Anand Kumar Memorial Symposium here on Friday.
Sharma pointed out that there was no legal framework to govern the IVF clinics in India. However, the number of clinics have shot up to 1,000 from a mere 250 in the year 2002. The business has doubled to Rs 50,000 crore per annum in the last eight years.

“The IVF clinics can be set up in district hospitals once the Bill is passed. I have been urging the government to recognise infertility as a disease akin to cardiovascular and neurological problems,” he added.