Deadlock over import of embryos

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and customs authorities are at loggerheads over the export and import of frozen embryos.

While the ICMR says its import is legal, the customs claim there is no such provision in their manual with regard to human embryos. As a result, they are adamant on not allowing embryos to be imported. In February last year, frozen embryos were seized at the Mumbai airport.

Fed up with the red-tapism, IVF experts have written to the ICMR, asking them to send a notification on the same to airports across the country.

Dr Gautam Allahbadia, IVF expert and medical director, Rotunda Blue Fertility Clinic & Keyhole Surgery Center, said, “There is some communication gap between the two government bodies. While ICMR guidelines on ART allows the import, the custom department is unaware of the guidelines and this is leading great inconvenience to everyone. We all hope this is resolved at the earliest.”

The custom authorities had seized nitrogen containers bearing frozen embryos from couples from the US and South Africa at the Mumbai airport after which the city doctors tried sorting out the matter with the customs.

The doctors have cancelled their appointments with the couples abroad who had chosen to send over their frozen embryos, which would then be transplanted into the womb of an Indian surrogate.

Dr Priya Kannan, IVF expert from Chennai said, “We’re taking no chances. The couples are upset but the disappointment of the couples whose embryos were sent back is more. We’ve been doing this for two years and there have never been any problems before. I don’t see a reason behind stopping the import.”

Dr RS Sharma, deputy director general, ICMR said, “We get many request letters from the doctors regarding the ban on import and export of human embryos. Many doctors are complaining that they are facing problem as their clients from abroad can’t bring gamete along with them to India. It is on this request that I am speeding up the procedure.”

While the government is yet to decide on the ART bill 2010, the doctors across the country has requested the ICMR to at least sent a notification to the customs on the guidelines and ensure there is no inconvenience to the patients.

Sharma, however, said there is no temporary respite to the deadlock. “We can’t send notification to the airports to allow the import since the government has to decide on the bill.  I am making all efforts to speed up the procedure,” said Dr Sharma.

According to the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) bill, 2010 , the export of human embryos will be banned while import is accepted.

“We have banned export of human embryos for many reasons. One of them is commercialisation. Human embryos are expensive abroad and people look forward to India as it is cheap here. Also it is stopped so that there is no misuse of embryos and people don’t use it for research work abroad,” said Dr Sharma.