<p>One and a half years after Parliament passed the Assistive Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act to regulate clinics offering infertility treatment, only 57 have been registered in Karnataka. </p>.<p>Hundreds of these clinics, including IVF clinics, have mushroomed in the state and operate without oversight. There is no data on their numbers, but 509 have applied for registration so far. </p>.<p>The ART Act is expected to rein in the sector with its requirements about minimum qualifications for personnel, infrastructure and the information clinics share with patients. It also restricts some procedures. For example, it caps the number of embryos that can be transferred to a woman to prevent multiple births. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read |<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/severe-heatwave-may-trigger-worsen-asthma-say-experts-1214946.html The law, enacted in December 2021, states that all ART clinics and banks (that store eggs/sperm) should be compulsorily registered in the next six months, but de" target="_blank"> Severe heatwave may trigger, worsen asthma, say experts</a></strong><br /><br /> </p>.<p>Karnataka formed its state authority to implement the law last August. “We have breached the deadline and some states like Maharashtra have done better than us. But we have been actively registering facilities for two months,” said Health Commissioner and head of the state authority, D Randeep. </p>.<p>Dr Vivek Dorai, Member Secretary of the state authority, said that of the 509 clinics that applied, 148 were Level 1 clinics (that offer only intrauterine insemination or IUI), 211 were Level 2 clinics that offer all procedures including IVF, 63 were ART banks, and 87 were surrogacy clinics. </p>.<p>Of them, only 229 have made payments. “Once the clinics make payment, we inspect them. We have inspected around 67 so far, and issued registrations to 57, mostly Level 2 clinics,” Dr Dorai said. </p>.<p>“If the act is strictly enforced, over half the ART clinics in the state may have to shut down,” andrologist Dr Vasan S S said. </p>.<p>“For example, many clinics employ personnel with lower qualifications than prescribed. If they hire people with prescribed qualifications, procedures will also cost more.” </p>.<p>Another concern is about clinics that may not register at all. IVF specialist Dr Aviva Pinto Rodrigues said IUI was now commonly offered in many health centres other than fertility clinics. Many of them were not registered under the Act. </p>
<p>One and a half years after Parliament passed the Assistive Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act to regulate clinics offering infertility treatment, only 57 have been registered in Karnataka. </p>.<p>Hundreds of these clinics, including IVF clinics, have mushroomed in the state and operate without oversight. There is no data on their numbers, but 509 have applied for registration so far. </p>.<p>The ART Act is expected to rein in the sector with its requirements about minimum qualifications for personnel, infrastructure and the information clinics share with patients. It also restricts some procedures. For example, it caps the number of embryos that can be transferred to a woman to prevent multiple births. </p>.<p><strong>Also Read |<a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/science-and-environment/severe-heatwave-may-trigger-worsen-asthma-say-experts-1214946.html The law, enacted in December 2021, states that all ART clinics and banks (that store eggs/sperm) should be compulsorily registered in the next six months, but de" target="_blank"> Severe heatwave may trigger, worsen asthma, say experts</a></strong><br /><br /> </p>.<p>Karnataka formed its state authority to implement the law last August. “We have breached the deadline and some states like Maharashtra have done better than us. But we have been actively registering facilities for two months,” said Health Commissioner and head of the state authority, D Randeep. </p>.<p>Dr Vivek Dorai, Member Secretary of the state authority, said that of the 509 clinics that applied, 148 were Level 1 clinics (that offer only intrauterine insemination or IUI), 211 were Level 2 clinics that offer all procedures including IVF, 63 were ART banks, and 87 were surrogacy clinics. </p>.<p>Of them, only 229 have made payments. “Once the clinics make payment, we inspect them. We have inspected around 67 so far, and issued registrations to 57, mostly Level 2 clinics,” Dr Dorai said. </p>.<p>“If the act is strictly enforced, over half the ART clinics in the state may have to shut down,” andrologist Dr Vasan S S said. </p>.<p>“For example, many clinics employ personnel with lower qualifications than prescribed. If they hire people with prescribed qualifications, procedures will also cost more.” </p>.<p>Another concern is about clinics that may not register at all. IVF specialist Dr Aviva Pinto Rodrigues said IUI was now commonly offered in many health centres other than fertility clinics. Many of them were not registered under the Act. </p>
