Meghalaya High Court Raises Concern Over Guwahati Fertility Clinic's Handling Of 50-Year-Old Patient

GUWAHATI: A fertility clinic in Guwahati might face restrictions after mishandling a 50-year-old woman’s request for assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment. The Meghalaya High Court raised serious concerns about how the Institute of Human Reproduction handled the case, where the woman had challenged the age limit of 50 years set by the ART Regulation Act, 2021. The court strongly criticized the clinic, saying, “We take a very serious view of the matter.”

Initially, the institute advised the patient to obtain a court order for the procedure, but later claimed it lacked the necessary facilities to even assess her case. This contradictory stance has raised doubts about the clinic's competence and its commitment to patient care.

Further complicating the situation, the institute, in a letter dated February 5th, admitted it does not have the “multispecialty team” needed to form the medical board, despite specializing in mother and child services. This revelation has seriously questioned the clinic’s credibility and raised concerns about its ability to provide safe and effective ART treatments.

In response to these issues, the court has directed the head of the institute to submit an affidavit detailing the safety and feasibility of performing the procedure on the petitioner. The affidavit must include a thorough assessment of the patient’s medical condition, along with the potential risks and benefits of the proposed treatment. If the institute fails to provide a satisfactory response by the given deadline, it could face severe consequences, including a possible ban on all ART procedures. The case is scheduled for a hearing on February 20, 2025.

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