Telangana tightens fertility clinic checks, 50 flagged

Telangana health authorities have intensified checks on fertility clinics, uncovering regulatory violations at 50 of 379 inspected establishments. Two registrations were cancelled, nine permissions suspended and others served notices, while authorities also stepped up PC-PNDT inspections.

Hyderabad: Following a wave of regulatory violations, State health authorities have decided to strictly enforce Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and surrogacy laws. As a part of these efforts, out of 379 private fertility clinics inspected across the State, officials uncovered major deviations in 50 establishments.

Consequently, authorities have completely canceled the registrations of 2 centers, temporarily suspended permissions for 9 others, and issued show-cause notices to the rest. The deviations included unregistered addresses, missing grievance cells, unmaintained records, and unauthorised staff changes.

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Health Minister Damodar Rajanarashima said that commercial exploitation of patients under the guise of fertility care will not be tolerated. The Minister directed the health department to rigorously audit medical inventory, including drug manufacturers and maximum retail prices.

So far, the State-run IVF and fertility centers operating at Gandhi Hospital and Petlaburj Hospital have successfully served 39,802 patients so far, completing 545 IVF cycles and 521 intrauterine insemination (IUI) procedures.

The health department has ramped up scrutiny under the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC-PNDT) Act. Between April and July, teams conducted 2,600 inspections at hospitals and scanning units, issuing show-cause notices to 52 facilities for 37 identified discrepancies. Authorities are maintaining round-the-clock surveillance to curb illegal sex-determination practices statewide, a press release said.