Punjab To Conduct Study To Find Cause Of Rising Infertility Among Couples

Punjab Health Minister Balbir Singh Thursday expressed concern over rising infertility among couples and ordered an in-depth study to find out possible causes behind the inability to conceive a child.

He also proposed to establish Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) centres at government medical colleges in the state.

The minister was chairing a meeting of the state-level board constituted in connection with the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 and the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021 here, according to an official release.

He said the proposed ART centres at medical colleges will facilitate the couples to address their infertility with medical procedures including in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and surrogacy.

The minister said Punjab has already implemented both the Acts - ART Act and Surrogacy Act, which seek to curb unethical practices related to issues including sex selection and exploitation of surrogates.

"With the implementation of these Acts, all the fertility and surrogacy clinics in the state are now required to obtain registration to carry out ART or surrogacy procedures to infertile couples," he said.

Pertinently, the state's appropriate authority has already granted registrations to the 106 institutions including 11 ART clinics (Level 1), 53 ART clinics (Level 2), 26 ART banks and 16 surrogacy clinics.

Balbir Singh said the key objective of implementing these acts was the prevention of commercialisation of ART clinics and surrogacy, besides curbing unethical practices.

He said there is also a provision for rigorous punishment in case of contravention of the provisions of the Acts.

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