Telangana Cracks Down on 50 IVF Centres Flouting ART and Surrogacy Rules
The Telangana Health Department has issued show-cause notices to 50 private fertility and IVF centres across the state for violating regulations under the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and Surrogacy Acts. Authorities temporarily suspended the permissions of nine centres and cancelled the registrations of two following inspections that uncovered serious operational deviations.
The disciplinary actions followed extensive checks across 379 private fertility centres. Health inspectors identified multiple irregularities, including staff changes carried out without notifying authorities, poor maintenance of patient and procedural records, and failure to display official registration certificates. Several clinics operated without mandatory grievance cells, while some were found operating at addresses different from those listed on their registered paperwork.
Health and Family Welfare Commissioner Dr Sangeeta Satyanarayana presented the inspection findings to Health Minister Damodar Rajanarsimha during a review meeting on Monday. Rajanarsimha directed department officials to take strict measures against errant centres and ensure that patients seeking fertility treatments are not subjected to unnecessary financial exploitation.
During the meeting, officials also briefed the minister on the performance of state-run fertility facilities at Gandhi Hospital and Petlaburj Maternity Hospital in Hyderabad. The two public centres have provided fertility services to 39,802 patients, carrying out 20,185 follicular studies, 521 intrauterine insemination (IUI) procedures, and 545 IVF procedures. The Gandhi Hospital facility began operations in October 2024, while the Petlaburj facility opened in December 2024. Rajanarsimha instructed officials to strengthen existing government services and prepare proposals to expand public IVF facilities to districts in phases.
The minister reviewed the enforcement of the PC-PNDT Act as well, noting that between April and July, officials conducted 2,600 inspections at hospitals and scanning centres, identifying 52 deviations and 37 violations.
Health officials were instructed to maintain continuous surveillance over all 477 registered ART and surrogacy centres in the state. This network includes 129 ART Level-1 centres, 226 ART Level-2 centres, 59 ART banks, and 63 surrogacy clinics. Upcoming inspections will scrutinise staff qualifications, operational registrations, grievance mechanisms, and the sources, manufacturers, and retail prices of medicines administered to patients.
