Committee set up to monitor fertility centres
The racket came to light after the arrest of several individuals, including the founder-director of Universal Srushti Fertility Centre, Athaluri Namratha alias Pachipala Namratha, her son Pachipala Jayanth Krishna, centre manager C Kalyani Atchayyamma, Gandhi Hospital anaesthetist Dr Nargula Sadanandam, lab technician Gollamandala Chenna Rao, and agent Dhanasri Santoshi. They have been accused of purchasing babies from vulnerable women and presenting them as children born through surrogacy.
In an order issued by Health Secretary Christina Z Chongthu, the department noted that certain IVF clinics were operating in violation of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2011, and the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021. Concerns were raised over the lack of mandatory registration, procedural transparency, and breaches of ethical guidelines, particularly regarding gamete donation, embryo transfers and surrogacy arrangements.
According to the order, the three-member committee will include the Health Commissioner, the CEO of the Rajiv Aarogyasri Health Care Trust, and the Director of Medical Education.
The committee is expected to submit its report to the government within 10 days. It has been authorised to summon any official or expert to provide information relevant to the inquiry.
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