Telangana: Govt sets up panel to regulate Surrogacy, Assisted Reproduction

Hyderabad: The Department of Public Health and Family Welfare of the Telangana government has established two special boards in order to regulate the surrogacy and clinical establishments across the State.  

The two councils to be set up include the Surrogacy Panel & Clinical Establishment Panel, which would overlook the implementation of the Surrogacy Act, 2021 and Clinical establishment Act, 2011 respectively. The Government Orders, GO 64 and GO 68 were also issued to this effect on Thursday, reports The New Indian Express. 

The Telangana government has constituted the State Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy Board under the Surrogacy (Regulations) Act, 2021, along with notifying the appointment of Appropriate Authority for surrogacy and associated reproduction to regulate surrogacy and assisted reproduction. 

The Telangana Today reports that the surrogacy board would be headed by the Health Minister and it would comprise of Secretary, Health, SAM Rizvi as Vice-Chairperson and the members in it will consist of Heads of all medical and health departments, three women MLAs including Dr Hari Priya, Padma Devender Reddy and Gongidi Sunitha. It would also include ten expert members including geneticists, embryologists, eminent gynaecologists, obstetricians, social scientists, and members of civil society working in the field of women's health and child issues. 

Also Read: Telangana: GMCs in every district, MBBS seats to go up to 5,240

The Appropriate Authority for Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 would be headed by Special Secretary, Health, Additional Director, Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare, eminent women from women's organisations, Deputy Secretary, State Law department and senior obstetrician from Petlaburj Government Maternity Hospital.

The officials have issued a warning to those who work at the clinical establishments which are not registered under the act. They would have to pay a monetary penalty up to Rs 5 lakh, reports TNIE.  

Also Read:Bogus surrogacy racket busted, BAMS doctor arrested