These days, Bollywood celebrities like Karan Johar and Tushar Kapoor are ecstatic after becoming single parents. But Delhi couples who are in real need of surrogacy remain harassed and confused. Let us find out the facts:
Top Bollywood stars like Tushar Kapoor and Karan Johar are enjoying their new status as a single parent whereas Delhi couples who have a dire need of surrogacy are pretty confused these days. As a result these couples are making queries but not visiting the clinics. Whoever is visiting are in a great rush. In the past few months the number of such couples have become less than half. Earlier, there used to be four/five patients visiting a clinic in month, now it has been reduced to one/two.
Those in real need, are upset
In the draft bill of surrogacy, commercial surrogacy has been banned. Only a lady with blood relation can be a surrogate who won’t get any payment in return. As per this bill, no surrogate mom can be selected from outside and paid a huge amount in lieu of surrogacy. This bill has not been tabled yet and parliament committee is considering it. In such a situation, the couples are confused whether to come forward or not. They feel that if they start surrogacy and the bill is cleared in between what will they do. The medical fraternity feels that rich & celebrities can avail anything, go abroad, but the main problem is with couples who cannot spend much. The way the big celebrities are taking help of surrogacy to become single parent, this has become a different culture altogether. In reality, if commercial surrogacy gets banned then infertile couple whose only option is surrogacy will suffer most. According to senior IVF consultant Dr. Archana Dhawan Bajaj, the couples are confused and therefore, they are coming in less numbers than before. Otherwise, people have become much more open about it and do not shy away from sharing their problems but now they are confused about the legality of it. In every patients mind there is a stage dilemma. Actually this sector needs regulation. If you feel that there are problems then one should concentrate on regulating but not banning.
Oh! Let us hide
Most of the couples face a common problem. In fact, every couple doesn’t want to share with their close relatives or family that they are getting a child through surrogacy. In such a situation, how will they request their blood relation to help in getting a baby of their own? Karen Saxena’s wife has met with many miscarriages after which the doctor advised them to go for surrogacy. Karan thought of not sharing this with anybody else, but now how can he request somebody? It is not necessary that every family will have such a helping close relative. Fertility expert Dr. Jyoti Bali says that single male surrogacy is not encouraged in our culture. In this case genuine couples will lose. For single, homosexual and live in couples, surrogacy should be banned. Dr. Gunjan Kakkar also said that surrogacy for foreigners has been totally stopped. Now, those who did good work have also come under this preview. In fact, those who don’t require surrogacy, we don’t provide. Because of people misusing it, couples in real need is not getting it. One needs to have clear cut guidelines for this.
What the bill actually says
“Draft bill of surrogacy is pending with parliament committee, commercial surrogacy has been totally banned as per this. Surrogacy moms having blood relation, between 25 to 35 years can be considered eligible with no monetary exchange. This surrogate lady should be married with own child. Single men, women and gay couples are banned from availing it. Recently parliament has passed the amended maternity benefit 2016 bill. As per this, working women will get 26 weeks paid leave. Earlier it was only for 12 weeks. In this bill, surrogate mom is also entitled to have 12 weeks leave. Experts feel that one way, granting those leaves, it is very difficult to say who will benefit from this.
After all, our Delhiites are not like Karan Johar
These days less numbers of patients are visiting the clinic, not more than two/three in a month. In fact, people are confused. There is not a single medical input in this bill. We don’t do surrogacy just like that. We need to provide entire data to the wealth department. Those who really need, only get it “.
Dr. Shivani Sachdev Gour (General Secretary)
Delhi State Chapter of Indian Society of Assisted Reproduction
“ Commercial surrogacy should be banned. But restrictions should be less in some special cases. Everybody related to this bill should be brought on board and hold discussion from all angles.
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