The National Registry for ART Clinics in India, launched by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in March last 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, will be transformed into a full-fledged activity of the Council during the XII plan period.

According to senior officials in the ICMR, since this is a continuous activity and the data generated from this registry will be utilized for making policies in this area, the Registry will be transformed into a full-fledged activity of the council.

The ICMR is presently engaged in establishing the National Registry for ART Clinics in India as per the draft ART (Regulation) Bill to accredit and supervise the ART services in the Country. The government is formulating this Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill (ART Bill) to regulate thousands of infertility clinics that have mushroomed in the country over the years. The Council has initiated this project through which details of all the ART clinics including nature of services provided by them, outcome of the services and other relevant information will be obtained from all the IVF clinics in the Country.

The main objective of launching the Registry is that 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.

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.

Meanwhile, according to sources the ART Bill, being formulated by the union health ministry to regulate the thousands of infertility clinics, is likely to be introduced during the next session of Parliament.