Friday, August 31, 2012

Mending legal loopholes can make India the pioneer of surrogacy tourism

Dr. Nayna Patel, who pioneered surrogacy in India, highlights the exhaustive procedure involved in allowing a woman to become a surrogate mother. “As giving birth is a very emotional thing in a woman’s life, we don’t permit every woman for surrogacy. The most important criterion is that she should be married with at least one child of her own. So, apart from having the experience of pregnancy, it would ensure that the surrogate mother easily relinquishes the child to the contracted parents,” said Dr. Patel.

“Women who approach me to become surrogate mothers belong to the lower strata of the society. We have a lot of NRIs who come in need of surrogate mothers. So, it’s almost like an exchange system – a womb in exchange for a large sum of money!” said Dr. Patel. A surrogate mother can earn about three lakh rupees. A gynecologist at Batra Hospital, Dr. Bela brought forth a striking aspect. “Surrogacy laws in India have many loopholes. I’ve seen a lot of problems occur with respect to money,” she mentioned.

While the legal experts sort out the rules of this new industry, a proposed bill prohibits contact between the surrogate mother and the child. Surrogacy tourism could be an invaluable cash resource for our economy. Creating a legal space for it might wash away the stigma attached to it too, making people realise the goodness of this deed.


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