Guwahati, May 24: Assam Health and Family Welfare Minister Ashok Singhal on Friday issued certificates to five institutions, authorizing them to establish Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Clinics, ART Banks, and Surrogacy Centres in the state.
The institutions certified include Apollo Fertility, Downtown Hospital, GMCH Fertility and IVF Centre, and the Institute of Human Reproduction in Guwahati, along with Swasti Hospital in Rangia.
This certification is part of the state’s efforts to implement the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021, and the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021, along with their corresponding rules notified in 2022. To enforce these laws, Assam established the State Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy Board and the Appropriate Authority in December 2023.
A state-wide drive launched on January 30, 2025, invited institutions to apply through the National ART & Surrogacy Portal. Applications were verified, and inspections conducted before certificates were awarded.
Earlier this year, the state issued its first surrogacy certificate to an intending couple and surrogate mother in Dibrugarh after assessment by the District Medical Board.
Minister Singhal reaffirmed the government’s commitment to providing safe, ethical, and high-quality reproductive healthcare through a transparent and accountable regulatory system.
The event was attended by senior officials including Dr. P. Ashok Babu and Barnali Shama, Commissioners and Secretaries of the Health and Family Welfare Department; Dr. Umesh Phangcho, Director of Health Services; and Dr. Heremba Bhattacharyya, Joint Director of Health Services (HQ) and Nodal Officer for Surrogacy.
