THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Any roadside soothsayer you meet would start foretelling the future with the standard ominous words “a serious problem awaits you soon.” Same is the case if one consults any infertility specialist, who boasts of wonder remedies.There is a perceived halo around the doctors and portray them as demi-gods. They convert all who consult them into patients, forever, either mentally or physically. “The government is almost absent from the scene. It helps the private sector to thrive in the business,” Dr B Ekbal said, while pointing a finger at the present state of affairs.“The government should start counselling centres in all district hospitals, which act as referral hospitals, and the specialty centres in all medical colleges as the matter is a great concern for our society,” he added.At present, there is an infertility clinic attached to the Hospital for Women and Children, Thycaud, here and it is the only one of its kind in the government sector.A similar clinic will be set up at the SAT Hospital by April 2012. The guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research pertain only to research in the field and not treatment. “Now there are no regulations to start a clinic or a hospital. The policy environment is a must to avoid manipulations. This is applicable not only to infertility clinics but also to all sectors of health. The government should act as a corrective force in the market,” said Rajeev Sadanandan, Secretary (Health), Government of Kerala. According to a highly-placed source, there was a proposal from the state for a regulatory Bill, some years ago. But fearing a backlash from the mighty ‘hospital lobby’, the minister concerned threw the ball to the Centre’s court. But nothing constructive turned out of the exercise.“There are three things mainly needed for the policy. One, licensing of the hospitals was imperative to set a minimum standard. Second is accreditation for the transparency in areas likes the cost of treatment. Then, a set of protocols and guidelines should be put in place. It is a wonder that a progressive state like Kerala lacks all these,” said Sadanandan. One can hope that these regulations would be soon put in place. Otherwise, people entangled in the emotional labyrinth of infertility will evermore be subjected to greater extortions by the unscrupulous ‘fertility peddlers’, even at the cost of spoiling the good work of genuine practitioners.
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