Surrogacy soup: Wikki-Nayan get clean chit, notice issued to hospital

CHENNAI: After the State health department inquired about the details of surrogacy opted by actor Nayanthara and director Vignesh Shivan, the committee by the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMS) on Wednesday revealed that the couple has followed the legal procedures as per the ICMR guidelines and gave a clean chit.

However, the private hospital which was involved in process did not maintain details and documents of the treatment and failed to follow the protocols.

Failure to issue the details, the hospital will be temporarily closed, said the committee’s report.

Following the announcement that the couple had twins through a surrogate mother, an inquiry committee was formed on October 13. Upon investigation, it was revealed that they have conceived the child through artificial insemination technology and surrogacy at a private hospital in the city.

A direct inquiry was also conducted by the team at the hospital, treating doctor and the doctors who treated the surrogate during delivery.

According to the report, ages of the intending couple and the surrogate mother were determined according to the ICMR guidelines. It further stated that the person was of suitable age for surrogacy, married and has a child.

A marriage registration certificate was also submitted by the couple stating that the marriage was registered on March 11, 2016. The authenticity of the marriage registration certificate is verified by the registration department.

When interrogated, the private hospital doctor who treated the couple stated that treatment was given based on the referral by their family doctor in 2020. But, when they inquired about the family doctor's address and contact number, there was no response.

Further investigation revealed that the doctor had gone abroad, so the team did not investigate with the family doctor. Treatment of the patient related to the ovulatory treatment register was also not maintained by the hospital.

In August 2020, oocytes and sperm were obtained and embryos were created and stored at the hospital in cryopreservation and the contract between the couple and the surrogate mother was signed in November 2021. In March 2022, the eggs were implanted into the surrogate's uterus and the babies were reportedly delivered in October.

During the investigation, the surrogate mother was receiving prenatal care at a private hospital in Chennai. The twins were delivered by caesarean on October 9, 2022.

As per ICMR guidelines, the details of the treatment given to the couple in the hospital and the documents regarding the surrogate mother's physical condition should be kept properly. However, the documents regarding this were not maintained in the hospital. A notice has been issued as to temporarily close the hospital for not following the guidelines.

The couple announced that they became parents to twin boys on October 9.