Surrogacy in India Anand a town in Gujerat was made famous by the cooperative farmers movement by Verghese Kurien, 1946,ushering in a white revolution or milk flood. It is a bustling town with educational Institutes of repute, universities, hospitals ,ship building & engineering, with Khambhat port aiding the activities,
It is the home to one of the best fertility Industry with Sat KaivalHospital and Akanksha Hospital pioneered by Dr Narayan Patel, her Husband Hitesh It is driving medical tourism in Anand. Hence Anand to day has another competitive outlet to Dairy . 30 babies are delivered for a month and the figure touching to about 700 births, The success rate varies, but it is worth a try .Indian couples, NRIs are major clients and foreigners from over 34 countries seek help Dr Patel buoyed with success, fame and popularity is building an ultra-modern facility with all connected facilities./The surrogate AZAD born to Amir Khan/Kiran Rao, ,AbRam birth of Shah Rukh Khan,Gauri has fuelled more controversy, focus and interests in surrogacy The social stigma is deep rooted .The ethical and religious thinking is not very favourable, but those who undertake the surrogacy and those willing to foot the bill are least concerned. The surrogate has to be between 21-35 years and implantation cycles limited to 3 times. Married couples must take consent of husbands, Only Indian citizens are to be considered for surrogacy, Surrogate mothers must relinquish all filial rights over the child The parents must accept the child born out of surrogacy The conditions of the contract are well structured and so also the payment in steps, before and after delivery The cost of the procedure is around 8-10 lakhs, but only a fraction of 2/3 lakhs accrues to the surrogate mother The mothers are housed in the premises, well taken care of medically and nutritional requirements Such glorified isolation also helps from prying, inquisitive eyes of curious neighbours At the moment the surrogate mothers are driven by financial constraints, their needs of children their education, welfare, a comfortable house, sick and unemployed husbands, maintenance of the household, divorced women, young widows without issues. The problems arise about the Nationality of the child in India to foreigners and their travel documents thereafter, What if the parents divorce and no longer are interested The parents who are not in the reproductive stage, those who do not want to undergo rigours of labour, those who do not want to adopt a child and those who are afflicted with some disease are potential customers The fertility Industry is booming business to doctors, IVF experts, lawyers, and all associated persons Dr Patel had her share of social opposition to the child factory but to day she is looked upon as a messiah, life giving, family saving benefactor The first baby, AKANKSHA though IVF, in 1999 was a milestone in her daunting, initial efforts Govt may think of tapping this resource as service tax, but it needs to immediately and urgently put in place legislation, that will protect the interest of surrogate mothers and exploitation, Nationality of new born and promote medical tourism with India as cheap and effective destination Nelson Lopes Chinchinim
