Babies born of surrogacy 'stuck' due to countrywide lockdown
With the nationwide lockdown, which was necessitated to keep a check on the spread of coronavirus, babies born of surrogacy are stuck in Gujarat as their biological parents can't travel to take them home. This has had an adverse effect on new parents and the authorities of such facilities, who are trying hard to take care of the babies. Here's more.
Lockdown started on March 25, could end on May 17
At Anand, seen as a "surrogacy hub" in Gujarat, facilities haven't been able to hand over kids to their parents. The first lockdown for 21 days started on March 25, it was extended for 19 days on April 14 and by another two weeks on May 1. The lockdown is supposed to end on May 17. Air, rail, and interstate travel have been banned.
The lockdown is taking emotional toll on parents
At the Akanksha Infertility Center, 27 babies were born during the lockdown, of whom only 10 were handed over to their biological parents. "Our staff and the NICU doctor are taking care of the babies. The doctor is spending hours together answering queries of parents over the phone. We also understand the emotional toll on the parents," Dr. Nayna Patel told Indian Express.
In Delhi too, new born babies can't go home
Same is the case with other such centers. Dr. Shivani Sachdev Gour, the founder of SCI IVF Hospital in Delhi, said in April that four babies were born of surrogacy. Of them, only two couples could collect their children as they were in Delhi. The others couldn't even see theirs. One couple is from Rajasthan and another from UP, she told TOI.
Some couples are fortunate enough to meet their babies
Some parents were lucky to reach the centers and hold their babies. One such couple reached Anand from Bengaluru on April 16, just in time for the birth of their son. They spent three days on the road, traveled 1,600 km, and came across uncountable check-posts in Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. Before they met their son, the couple remained in a 14-day quarantine.
Getting to Gujarat was far from easy
However, the couple had to answer several questions on the way. Cops didn't believe they were visiting Gujarat for the birth of their child as the wife didn't "look pregnant". "At Valsad, police told us to apply for permission from the state administration. We did so digitally but the first request was rejected in three hours. I made a second request," the husband said.
Locals protested parents' arrivals, administration intervened
When they reached Anand, locals created a ruckus, fearing the infection. "They created a human chain to protest... Later, with help from the administration, things were resolved," Dr. Patel said, adding that she understands the concerns during the pandemic.
Stuck in Pune, parents not allowed to travel to Gujarat
Unfortunately, another couple from COVID-19 hotspot Pune, who waited for 12 years for a child, said their requests to travel to Gujarat were junked by the Maharashtra government. The fertility clinic sends pictures and videos daily, but that offers little consolation. Moreover, the facility charges per day, which is also troubling parents. A surrogacy usually costs more than Rs. 8 lakh.
Parents living abroad don't know when they'll see their babies
Apart from Indian parents, there are some living in the US and UK who have little idea about when they would see their babies. Dr. Samit Sekhar of Kiran Infertility Center in Chennai told TOI there are five commissioning parents whose babies are due in the coming weeks. Notably, air travel has been suspended globally to contain the spread of COVID-19.
