Telangana Women's Commission questions eight fertility centres over illegal egg donation claims

The Telangana State Women's Commission has started an inquiry into an alleged illegal egg donation racket in Hyderabad. It issued notices to eight Assisted Reproductive Technology centres and egg banks to check their donor records and procurement practices.

Inquiry Details

The Commission met representatives of the eight institutions after telling their managements to appear in person. Chairperson Nerella Sharada expressed unhappiness because some centres sent staff members instead of senior management. The inquiry was put off after the institutions promised that their top bosses would come to the next meeting. During the check, the Commission looked at reports and details of egg donors. Ms. Sharada said that several suspicious points and irregularities came out from the records checked so far.

Official Reactions

Ms. Sharada questioned claims by the institutions that nearly 90% of their egg donors came from other States and gave eggs willingly without taking any money. She said these claims raise many questions that need deeper checks. Sangeetha Satyanarayana, the Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare, also attended the meeting. Ms. Sharada asked her about the progress of the health department's probe into the alleged illegal egg buying. They also talked about gaps in the existing Assisted Reproductive Technology Act and problems in watching over fertility centres. Ms. Sharada plans to meet Health Minister C. Damodar Raja Narasimha and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to share the findings and talk about fixing rules. The Commission has also got information about other fertility centres and egg banks possibly being involved and plans to send them notices too.

Context

Assisted Reproductive Technology centres help couples who face trouble having children through medical methods like IVF. Laws exist to protect donors from exploitation, but monitoring networks often struggle with proper enforcement across different States.