HYDERABAD: The Telangana government has ordered stringent action against private IVF centres accused of unauthorised egg collection and of exploiting couples who approach them for fertility treatment. Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha directed officials on Friday to cancel for good the registration of any clinic found flouting rules, and to move to revoke the medical licences of the doctors held responsible.
The directions were issued at a review meeting with senior Health Department officials at the TGMSIDC office in Koti. Clinics traced to gangs said to be running an illegal egg trade are to be shut down, and officials have been asked to weigh whether the licences of complicit doctors can be cancelled for good.
The department is to consult the State Medical Council and the National Medical Council so that any recommendation to strip a doctor of his licence follows the rules. The minister sought a thorough probe into everyone involved, individuals as well as organisations, firm legal action against anyone found guilty, and full cooperation with the police during the investigation.
Senior officials briefed the minister on the illegal oocyte procurement case that has prompted the latest directions, and were asked to share every detail of the investigation with the police and to act without delay against anyone found involved.
The minister said the government had earlier stepped in to stop irregularities at Srushti Fertility Centre, and that a gang linked to the illegal harvesting of eggs had since been traced and taken into custody. Health Department teams were working alongside the police, with routine inspections and sustained surveillance aimed at stopping such practices, he said.
Officials of the Drug Control Authority have been told to maintain rigorous surveillance over medicines used in IVF treatment across their entire lifecycle, from manufacturing to sale. The minister also ordered continuous monitoring of the operations of private IVF centres, with strict action promised against any institution that violates regulations.
He underlined the need to strengthen implementation of the Surrogacy Act and the Assisted Reproductive Technology Act, and asked the Principal Secretary, Health, to constitute an expert committee to study the regulatory and enforcement mechanisms adopted by other states. He also suggested exploring additional state-level guidelines within the framework of the existing central laws.
The government did not specify how many centres are under scrutiny, how many people have been held, or when the cancellations would take effect. It is also unclear whether the crackdown will reach beyond the clinics already under investigation.
(With inputs from media reports)