Tamil Nadu government to shut down 4 private hospitals for illegally selling minor girl’s egg cells

The health minister said the five-member team led by A Viswanathan, Joint-Director of Medical and Rural Health Services, conducted an inquiry into the incident and submitted their final report on July 7. The action was taken based on the report. Subramanian said the team found that the hospitals had accepted an Aadhaar card from the accused knowing it was fake and none of the mandatory procedures required for egg donation was followed.

The minister added that six hospitals, including one of Andhra Pradesh and one of Kerala, were under the scanner. The hospitals that flouted the guidelines of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, ICMR, Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act and Tamil Nadu Clinical Establishment Act are Sudha Hospital in Erode and Salem, Ramprasad Hospital in Perundurai, Vijay Hospital in Hosur, Sri Krishna Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram and Matrutva Hospital and Test Tube Baby Centre in Tirupati.

“As per the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, only married, adult women in the age group of 21-35 having at least one child are permitted to donate oocytes (cells) only once in a lifetime,” Subramanian said.

He added patients who are currently admitted at the four hospitals have to be discharged within 15 days and later, on behalf of the department, steps will be initiated to permanently close the hospitals. Subramanian added that the health secretary will recommend Andhra Pradesh and Kerala state governments to initiate action against the erring hospitals in Tirupati and Thiruvananthapuram, respectively.

The minister said as per the ART Act, the hospitals will be slapped a fine of Rs 50 lakh and the accused, including the doctors, may face a jail term of up to 10 years.

The police booked four, including the mother, her paramour and an agent, under multiple sections of the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences Act and also under Section 34 and 35 of the Aadhaar (Targeted) Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies Benefits and Services Act.