Following the discovery of an unauthorised IVF centre in Thane, authorities have launched a city-wide inspection of fertility clinics and sonography centres to ensure compliance with medical safety standards and combat illegal egg-selling operations.
A Thane hospital has been found operating an unauthorised IVF, prompting authorities to order a comprehensive inspection of all such facilities and sonography centres in the city, officials said.
The crackdown comes against the backdrop of an illegal human "egg-selling" racket busted recently in the Badlapur area of Maharashtra's Thane district.
The Thane Municipal Corporation's (TMC) health department initiated action on March 6 by raiding the unlicensed IVF centre at a prominent local hospital, the civic body said in a release.
"The centre's approval has been cancelled and three sonography machines at the facility have been sealed," it said.
Taking serious note of the irregularities, Thane Mayor Sharmila Pimpalolkar convened a high-level meeting, attended by TMC's Chief Medical Health Officer Dr Prasad Patil and Shiv Sena group leader Pawan Kadam.
"The mayor has directed the administration to immediately inspect all IVF and sonography centres within the Thane Municipal Corporation limits," the release said.
She further ordered the launch of a "special campaign against illegal sonography centres" to ensure stringent compliance with medical safety norms.
During the meeting, Dr Patil said, "Poor women were being coerced into producing excess eggs through hormonal injections in exchange for money. These were then extracted and sold for lakhs of rupees to childless couples."
To ensure accountability, the mayor has mandated a rigorous oversight mechanism.
"The administration should monitor the investigation regularly and submit a report every week. The action taken by the health department must be continued without interruption," the release said quoting the mayor.