Hyderabad: In the wake of the Srushti Clinic scandal involving allegations of gamete manipulation and child trafficking, experts are calling for DNA fingerprinting at multiple stages of the in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) process. They say scientific parentage testing is the most effective safeguard to ensure paternity and maternity, providing hospitals and couples with a single, indisputable proof of biological lineage. While counselling is offered free of cost, couples must bear the expense of testing.At a workshop in Hyderabad on Tuesday, Dr KPC Gandhi, former director of Forensic Science Laboratory and chairman of Genome Foundation and Truth Labs, said hospitals have approached them after the recent case. He cautioned that forged DNA certificates are also being issued by some private labs. To prevent malpractice, he advised couples to inform clinics in advance that DNA tests would be conducted after childbirth, noting that “such awareness itself acts as a deterrent.”
Dr G Vijay Amritrao, DNA examiner at the Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics (CDFD), explained that fetal DNA can be tested as early as six weeks through maternal blood, though CDFD accepts only court or police referrals.
Safeguards in fertility clinicsFertility experts highlighted that risks such as gamete mixing can be prevented with double witnessing by two embryologists during IVF. Dr Lakshmi Chirumamilla stressed that couples must select clinics adhering to the assisted reproductive technology (ART) law and the ICMR guidelines, where explicit consent is required for donor gametes. She warned against choosing cheaper, unregulated hospitals, and cautioned older couples against chasing only success rates, which could lead to ethical breaches.
Dr Suma Prasad, another infertility specialist, pointed out that Gandhi Hospital remains the only government facility offering IVF in Hyderabad. She called for a national policy akin to Jeevandan in organ donation, mandatory registration of all clinics with the ART registry, and routine audits by health authorities. She also emphasised the need for careful embryonic testing to avoid harm.To strengthen safeguards, Truth Labs and Genome Foundation have launched a three-stage DNA testing programme—before embryo implantation, after childbirth, and in disputed cases.
Dr Gandhi said such validation addresses rising concerns over fraudulent embryo transfers, gamete mix-ups, surrogacy scams, fabricated genetic claims, and even trafficking. The initiative promises legally admissible DNA reports using STR profiling under NABL accreditation.
“Genetic validation through DNA fingerprinting ensures traceability of a child’s origin and deters malpractice,” Dr Gandhi said, urging clinics and couples to adopt it as standard practice.
