Need for common interpretation of IVF rules in all states: Doctor

Nagpur: Although Pre-Conception & Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (PNDT) has been enacted by ministry of health and family welfare, its implementation varies from state to state, Dr KD Nayyar, senior vice-president of Indian Fertility Society (IFS) told TOI. He was speaking on the sidelines of the installation ceremony of IFS Vidarbha chapter, hosted at a city hotel on Sunday.

The local issue challenging IVF is PNDT Act which controls ultrasound, said Dr Nayyar. Although it is a Central act, every state has its own PNDT officer and its own implementation of rules. “The rules applied in different states vary. We need a central implementation. For example, in Delhi, one is ask to fill several forms for a patient while another state would not require any form submission. Hence, there should be common interpretation of IVF rules in all the states. It should not be left to the PNDT officer to decide,” he said.

Speaking about the need for a bill on assisted reproductive technology (ART), Dr Nayyar said that a proposal had been sent to all stakeholders and IFS had also responded on the same. “We are waiting for the bill, as this will be incorporated in the act which the parliament is expected to prepare. We must have a regulatory act so that in vitro fertilization (IVF) centres can function with transparency,” he said.

In Nagpur, there are more than 25 IVF centres. Most of these centres do not have the infrastructure and do not meet the criteria that is being planned in ART bill. How IVF centres should operate should be measured by guidelines, he said.

“The surrogacy bill is also pending in the parliament and needs certain changes. Few years ago, we realized that women were being exploited in the name of surrogacy. Surrogacy is now allowed for only an Indian couple.

At the ceremony, Dr Shilpi Sud was sworn in as the secretary, wherein Dr Nishad Chimote was inducted as the joint secretary.

Dr Sud shared plans of studying infertility status in Gumgaon village, Butibori, apart from conducting workshops on andrology and cryobiology. “We will also be conducting events on myths with ART, CME with oncologists, an annual conference in December and a programme on fertility and yoga,” she said.