The National Registry of ART Clinics in India, launched by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in March this year as part of its efforts to put in place a comprehensive and authentic central database about the number of ART clinics in the country, is getting tremendous response from the ART clinics in the country.

Dr R S Sharma, Dy Director General (SG), ICMR said that even though registration with the National Registry of ART Clinics is voluntary as of now, it is getting good response from the Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) clinics located in the nook and corner of the country. Once the ART Bill, which will soon be introduced in Parliament for its final nod, becomes an Act, registration of ART clinics, which is free of any fees, will become mandatory in the country.

By the time the ART Bill becomes an act, the ICMR wanted to prepare a comprehensive and authentic central database about the number of ART clinics in the country. As of now, even though thousands of infertility clinics have mushroomed in the country over the last some years, the government does not have an authentic data about the number of infertility (ART) clinics in the country.

Dr Sharma said that the ICMR has started the process of examining the details submitted by the clinics and will start issuing the registration numbers soon. Each registrant will be given a Unique Registration Number by the ICMR, which could be used by the registrant in any legitimate purpose.

He said that the ART clinics which are engaged in taking care of infertility problems in the country through the practice of any of the 12 techniques should register with the ICMR's National Registry of ART Clinics in India. These techniques include Artificial Insemination with Husband’s Semen (AIH), Artificial Insemination with Donor Semen (AID), Intra-uterine Insemination using Husband Semen (IUI-H), Intra-uterine Insemination using Donor Semen (IUI-D) and In Vitro Fertilization-Embryo Transfer (IVF).

The list of techniques also include Gamete Intrafallopian Tube Transfer (GIFT), Tubal Embryo Transfer (TET), Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI), Percutaneous Epididymal Sperm Aspiration (PESA), Testicular Sperm Aspiration (TESA), Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESE) and Processing or storage of gametes (sperm and oocyte) and or embryos.