Women bodies demand arrest of Dr Padmasri

Visakhapatnam: The women’s organisations demanded that the police department arrest Dr Sudha Padmasri, the consultant IVF specialist of Padmasri IVF Centre. The doctor has been facing several allegations after a Dalit woman lodged a complaint with police alleging that the doctor cheated her and without her consent injected two zygotes. After a preliminary inquiry, police registered an FIR under various sections.

The National Commissioner for SC Welfare also responded and directed the police to initiate action against the IVF Centre and against the doctor.
As there is no action from the police and government, the women organisations organised a round-table on the issue.

Later, addressing the media, women activists Lakshmi, S Venkatalakshmi, Indira, A Vimala and Madhavi alleged that the IVF Centre and Dr Sudha Padmasri not followed the ICMR guidelines. As per the ICMR guidelines, surrogacy treatment should not be commercialised.

As per the guidelines, there should be an agreement between surrogacy mother and biological parents. But, Padmasri IVF Centre signed the MoU with the surrogacy mother which is illegal, the women activists pointed out.

The IVF Centre informed the Dalit woman that they would take her eggs only, but injected two zygotes into her womb. In fact, the biological parents asked only one child, but Dr Sudha Padmasri injected two zygotes. Even there are lakhs of rupees exchanged, making surrogacy as a business, there is no action from the police so far, the women activists lamented.

Even all the evidences are clear and police registered FIR, some influential persons are saving the doctor and they demanded the police to send her behind the bars immediately. The leaders also demanded the government for immediate payment of Rs 8 lakh compensation announced by Member of the National Commission for SC Welfare.