No relook at bill to regulate surrogacy
Eager to regulate the thriving business of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) clinics that have opened up avenues for unethical surrogacy practices, the department of health research on Friday said there is no proposal of setting up an expert committee to relook the draft bill.
Calling the draft of ART (regulation) bill as “most comprehensive” one which was prepared after consulting all the stakeholders, sources said that government is not contemplating to set up an expert committee for relooking at the proposed Bill. In fact, it considering to introduce the proposed bill in the winter session.
“The proposed bill has been discussed for several years. The guidelines were finalised in 2004 after around 3982 field performa along with the comments and suggestions from various stakeholders were reviewed by the expert committee and later incorporated. Drafting the bill is a prerogative of the government and the draft is at a circulating stage. We are open to suggestions but at present there is no proposal to have a expert committee relooking the issue,” added sources.
The proposed bill addresses the ethical, medical, scientific, technical and social aspect of the reproductive technology.
Holding that a lot of time has already gone in discussion, the department has infact called for early enactment of the bill. “There is urgent need to have a law to regulate ART clinics and put in place regulations for surrogacy. This is a very important bill and we are very serious to introduce it soon.”
Refuting the claims of some civil society members that pointed that issues related to women and children are not adequately addressed as they discussed the matter in a recent meeting held in the Planning Commission, sources said that it is a comprehensive bill protecting the rights of women and children.
The draft proposes the states and UTs to constitute state boards and registration authority to implement and regulate the functioning of ART clinics and banks.
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