Gujarat HC orders collection of COVID-19 patient's sample for IVF
What's the story
The Gujarat High Court has directed a hospital in Vadodara to conduct an IVF/Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) procedure for the collection of the sample of a critical COVID-19 patient having slim chances of survival after his wife expressed the desire to bear his child. The HC issued the order on Tuesday, considering it as an extraordinary urgent situation.
Court orders
Hospital had asked for a court order for the same
After an urgent hearing of a petition filed by the patient's wife, Justice Ashutosh J Shastri directed the Vadodara-based hospital to conduct the procedure as per medical advice. The petitioner wants to conceive his child through the IVF/ART technology, but the hospital was not allowing this unless she got a court order directing it to collect his sample, her lawyer Nilay Patel said.
Decision
Court has sought responses from the state government
The woman approached the high court on Tuesday with an urgent plea. The HC said, "The ad-interim relief is granted in an extraordinary urgent situation before the court and the same shall be subject to the outcome of the petition." The court also issued notices to the state government and the hospital's director and sought their response on July 23.
Further details
The man is suffering from multi-organ failure
The petitioner approached the court, saying her COVID-19-infected husband was suffering from multi-organ failure and was on a life support system, and according to doctors, has slim chances of survival. The HC directed the petitioner and the assistant government pleader to communicate its order to the hospital for collection of the patient's sample, looking at the criticality of the situation.