Draft surrogacy Bill draws flak from health care industry

The draft surrogacy Bill, cleared by the Cabinet earlier this week, has drawn criticism from several quarters, including doctors and industry. Business Standard spoke with Dr Manisha Singh, head of IVF (in vitro fertilisation) and reproductive medicine at Fortis Hospitals, Bengaluru, who said the only good point about the surrogacy Bill is that it bars foreigners from hiring surrogates in India.

Doctors are also critical of the five year waiting period for couples before they consider surrogacy. According to Dr Singh, "What if a girl, 23, married, doesn't have a uterus and she knows it. Does she have to wait till she turns 28 to find a surrogate mother, just because a rule says so?"

President of the Indian Medical Association Dr S S Agarwal feels the surrogacy industry will end due to the "close-relative" clause imposed by the government."

Dr Manisha quotes a case she has handled where a patient's first cousin was paid around Rs 7 lakh for her womb. This, and many other cases, she has handled over the years has prompted her to say surrogacy will come to an end, virtually, if the commercial aspect is taken away.

Another doctor said the government should come up with an upper limit of remuneration for surrogates by any couple. Meanwhile, the government has said it is open to amendments to the Bill, which will go to the standing committee before being taken up by Parliament.