Srushti Fertility Centre case: three government doctors placed under suspension

The State government on Monday placed three government doctors under suspension following allegations of their involvement in the Universal Srushti Fertility Centre case in Hyderabad, Telangana. The Hyderabad police had registered a case against the fertility for violation of Surrogacy (Regulation) Act and Juvenile Justice Act and arrested several doctors, among which the three were included.

The doctors placed under suspension include Head of Department of Anaesthesia, Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam, Dr. Vasupalli Ravi, Associate Professor in Gynaecology Department, Dr. Usha Devi, and Assistant Professor in Paediatrics in Srikakulam Government Medical College, Dr. A. Vidyullatha, an official release said.

The Hyderabad police had arrested the three doctors last month in the case under various sections of Surrogacy (Regulation) Act and Juvenile Justice Act. The same was communicated to the Andhra Pradesh government on August 28.

Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav on Monday instructed the officials to place the three under suspension from the date of their arrest. Mr. Satya Kumar felt that continuation of these doctors in duties might cause hindrance to the investigation and asked the officials to suspend the three.

Mr. Satya Kumar Yadav enquired about the delay in taking action against the doctors, when reports of their arrest had already surfaced in newspapers on August 9. Officials explained that the communication regarding the date of arrest of the doctors and the period of their judicial remand were given by the Telangana police only on August 28.

The three doctors, meanwhile, did not attend duties few days before reports emerged in the media about the irregularities committed by the fertility centre. Though the principals of their medical colleges tried to contact them, they could not be contacted, officials explained.