Meghalaya High Court warns fertility clinic over 50-year-old woman's IVF plea

A fertility clinic in Guwahati faces potential restrictions after failing to properly evaluate a 50-year-old woman's request for assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment.

The High Court of Meghalaya expressed shock at the Institute of Human Reproduction's handling of the case, where a woman challenged the age limit of 50 years set by the ART Regulation Act, 2021.

"We take a very serious view of the matter," stated Chief Justice I.P. Mukerji and Justice W. Diengdoh. The court noted that the institute first told the patient to obtain a court order for the procedure, but later claimed it lacked the facilities to even assess her case.

The institute claimed in a February 5 letter that it doesn't have a "multispecialty team" required for the medical board, despite specialising in mother and child services.

The court has ordered the institute's head to file an affidavit detailing whether the procedure can be performed safely on the petitioner. Failure to provide a satisfactory response could result in the institute being barred from performing any ART procedures.

The case will be heard next on February 20, 2025.