In the light of violations involving Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) centres, the Health Department has issued the common regulations outlined in three laws— ART (Regulation) Act, Tamil Nadu Clinical Establishments Act and Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostics Techniques (PCPNDT) Act— to all joint directors of medical and rural health services, as well as to 190 ART centres functioning in the State, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said.
On Thursday, the Health Department conducted a workshop for the joint directors on ART Act and Surrogacy Act, 2021. The Minister said this was to highlight the need for continuous monitoring of ART centres, prevent irregularities and put forth instructions regarding implementation of the laws. He added that measures to streamline the ART centres were in full swing in the State.
Referring to the case in which a minor girl was forced to donate oocytes in Erode, the Minister told reporters that action was initiated on the four private hospitals— Sudha Hospital, Salem, Sudha Hospital, Erode, Ramaprasad Hospital Perundurai and Vijay Hospital, Hosur— which included sealing of scan centres and suspension of two hospitals from the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme. “We have advised the Tamil Nadu Medical Council to take action on four specialist doctors of these hospitals,” he said.
Mr. Subramanian said there were 190 ART centres in the State. “Common regulations as per the three Acts outlining the rules that these hospitals should adhere to, and legal provisions were issued to the joint directors as well as to the hospitals,” he said. He said training centres for ART services would be set up in Tiruchi and Chennai.
The Minister said surveillance for monkeypox continued in 13 places along the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border and international airports.
Among others, Shilpa Prabhakar, mission director of National Health Mission- Tamil Nadu, Director of Medical and Rural Health Services S. Gurunathan and Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine T.S. Selvavinayagam were present.
