Mumbai has 42% of state’s IVF centres: Study

Mumbai has as many as 180 in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) clinics, the latest internal study of the Maharashtra state health department has stated. The department has traced a total of 428 IVF centres in Maharashtra. The city is a mushrooming hub of IVF activity, what with 42 per cent of all IVF centres in the state located in Mumbai, said state health department officials.

The department is tightening its grip on the IVF centres' functioning and aims to bring health tests conducted by them under the ambit of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. The state health department authorities have claimed that certain tests used in the IVF procedure may be used by doctors to detect the sex of child. IVF treatment currently is unchecked, unsupervised and not regularised and there is currently no law that governs it or surrogacy. There are only guidelines made by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) which do not carry the weightage of a law, or penalty upon non-implementation. In lieu of this laxity, the department hired a private agency to account for IVF centres through a survey.

Dr Asaram Khade, state nodal officer of the PCPNDT cell, told dna, "There are some procedures in IVF that reveal sex of the foetus. Hence, the government wants to regularise the procedure and make all centres follow directives of the PCPNDT Act. We have gathered details of the centres. Now we are collating data on the people who actually take benefit from the IVF procedure. We are keeping a close watch on these centres. There are good doctors, but some violate norms and others get a bad name."

Experts said that, in any given population, fifteen per cent rate infertility exists, and such a statistic can be extrapolated to Indian couples too. "With these rates of infertility, demand for IVF centres is on a rise. The number of centres may rise, but people should get treated at credible centres only," said Dr Anjali Malpani, Malpani Infertility Clinic, Colaba.

Opting for such treatment is an urban phenomenon for older couples who desire a child, experts say. "It is a fact that couples are unable to conceive naturally and resort to IVF. In Mumbai, demand for such centres is huge. Due to today's competitive environment, couples concentrate more on their career and keep plans for children on hold. People from outside the city come to seek IVF treatment here. In most cases, doctors use the husband's sperm to coagulate with the wife's egg externally and then implant it in her or a surrogate's womb," said Dr Anil Pachnekar, dean, Indian Medical Association.

Dr Amit Patki, IVF expert and president of Mumbai Obstetric and Gynaecological Society, considers the growing number of clinics a positive sign, but calls for maintaining transparency and accountability in their working. "The growing number of centres means that people are in need of such treatment and are coming forward to take it. Earlier, it was a taboo to approach doctors for such treatment. The state government should come up with good rules and regulations and keep a check on these clinics," said Patki.

What is IVF

In males, infertility can be caused by low sperm count due to endocrine problems, drugs, radiation or infection. For women, problems arise mainly from structural problems in the Fallopian tube or uterus, or problems in releasing eggs. Infertility may also be caused by blockage of the Fallopian tube due to malformations. Mental stress is also an important cause.

In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a major treatment for infertility used when all other methods of assisted reproductive technology fail.The process involves hormonally controlling the ovulatory process, removing the ova (eggs) from the woman's ovaries and letting sperm fertilise them in a fluid medium outside the womb. The fertilised egg (zygote) is then transferred to the patient's uterus.

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Mumbai has 42% of state's IVF centres: Study