Mumbai, July 1 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Maharashtra government on Wednesday launched a statewide crackdown on unauthorised sonography and In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) centres to curb illegal sex determination and malpractices.
Speaking in the State Assembly, Maharashtra Public Health and Family Welfare Minister Prakash Abitkar has announced that the state government plans to invoke the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against those violating the law.
The announcement came during a session where Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Abu Azmi raised urgent concerns regarding unregulated IVF facilities operating across the state.
Other lawmakers, including Harish Pimpale, Ajay Choudhari, Yogesh Sagar, and Rahul Patil, joined the discussion with supplementary questions.
Minister Abitkar highlighted a worrying, unnecessary surge in both IVF treatments and avoidable Cesarean section (C-section) deliveries across Maharashtra.
To tackle this, the state will establish a comprehensive regulatory framework to ensure IVF treatments are prescribed strictly based on medical necessity.
"We maintain a zero-tolerance policy against unethical medical practices," Minister Abitkar said.
"Stricter legal provisions, including the implementation of MCOCA, will be introduced to decisively penalise individuals involved in human egg (oocyte) trafficking, IVF malpractice, and violations of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act. This will apply to doctors, administrative staff, and hospital managements found guilty."
The Minister provided updates on recent law enforcement actions. Following the bust of an illegal human egg-trafficking ring in Badlapur and Ambernath, the implicated doctors have been arrested.
The state Health department has initiated proceedings to permanently revoke their medical licenses, Minister Abitkar added.
A regional expert committee recently inspected the 'Babysure Clinic' and 'Indira IVF Centre' in Chandrapur.
"Following the discovery of multiple structural and operational irregularities, both centres have been ordered to suspend operations immediately until they secure official Level-1 Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) registration. The matter is currently sub-judice. Specialised district and state-level task forces have already been deployed to conduct surprise raids and rigorous inspections of diagnostic and fertility clinics nationwide," the Minister said.
He told the House that the state government is contemplating to include the IVF facility under the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya scheme to avail the benefits to the poor.
Source: IANS
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