Visakhapatnam : The failure to deliver result in surrogacy has resulted in the Visakhapatnam district consumer disputes redressal commission directing the doctors of the IVF Clinic – Universal Shrushti Fertility and Research Centre to return 15 lakh fees charged by a childless couple by the centre. The commissionalso directed the doctors to pay a compensation of 1 lakh and 10,000 towards legal expenses of the complainant.
The notices were issued, in specific, to doctors P.Namratha and Tirumala and hospital coordinator Bindu on the complaint of the couple Illibilli Ugandhar and Illibilli Ekta. The couple said in the complaint that they were married 12 years ago and were childless. After seeing an advertisement in newspapers by the centre offering surrogacy to childless couple the couple approached the fertility centre.
The doctors at the IVF centre after conducting teststold them that they have no chance of conceiving children and suggested surrogacy for which they would render service. It was agreed to pay 15 lakhs as services charges to the doctor in the fifth month of the surrogate mother’s pregnancy, the couple said.The couple paid 2 lakh and Ekta was subjected to a series of tests that allegedly caused her mental agony.The couple made the final payment but the surrogate mother was not shown to the couple as promised.The doctors told the couple that the surrogate mother will deliver the baby but they were shocked when they saw in the newspapers that the doctors were arrested by the police for cheating the public.
When the doctors came out of the jail they asked the doctors to return the money but the doctors rather than returning their money told the couple to withdraw the police complaint against them and then only they will return the money. This led to the couple moving to the consumer court which gave a favorable decision to them.