Shillong, Jan 27: Providing a relief to a 50-year-old woman seeking to conceive through assisted reproduction technology (ART), the Meghalaya High Court has directed a Guwahati-based hospital to constitute a medical board to decide whether she could avail the treatment or not.
The Institute of Human Reproduction had refused to offer treatment to the petitioner Silbania Lyngdoh on the basis of the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 that disallows anyone over 50 years to avail ART treatment.
In her petition, Lyngdoh appealed to the court declare a portion of the Act as invalid since she is just over 50 years of age.
In its order, the bench comprising Chief Justice IP Mukerji and Justice W Diengdoh said, “The hospital is directed to constitute the medical board as directed by our order dated 17 December 2024 forthwith.”
In its earlier order, the court had directed the Institute to constitute the medical board, but the latter declined citing non-receipt of valid court documents to comply with the order.
