Can govt hospitals in Orissa start IVF treatments?

By-Manish Kumar

Bhubaneswar, January 31: In the last one decade, in-vitro-fertilization (IVF) commonly referred as test tube baby technique has flourished in the country and slowly it has been making mark in the state capital with the opening of few private hospitals, offering this specialized treatment to the needy. However, private clinics had always had a monopoly in this treatment. Governments in different states have always shown reluctance in opening their arms for this technique.

But, in the last five years, many government hospitals have tried to include this treatment on their premises. Government hospitals like Delhi-based All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Lok Nayak Jay Prakash Narayan Hospital  (LNJP), SMS Medical College (Rajasthan) are one of the few institutions who are offering IVF or other specialized infertility treatments like Intra-uterine insemination (IUI) etc at a much lower rate than private hospitals.

Family welfare director Nirmala Kumari Dei said IVF or any other assisted reproductive techniques are yet to be introduced at the government hospitals in the state. Moreover, this facility has also not been started at the medical colleges in the state. Similarly, SCB Medical College and Hospital superintendent Pratap Kumar Rath also indicated the absence of this facility at the premier hospital.  Dr Binod Kumar Mishra, Superintendent, Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar confirmed that the facility of in-vitro fertilization has not been started yet in their hospital as of now.

Health professionals in the city however disagree on the inception of these facilities at government hospitals. “Government hospitals basically focus on public health and aim to eradicate or treat diseases of ailments which affect the larger mass. They are their first priority. It is not a big deal for any government hospital to invest Rs 1 crore and set up an IVF centre and create adequate infrastructure for it.” says Dr Aditya Das, a city-based IVF expert.

Dr Das also says that Orissa is in infancy when it comes to IVF treatment. Although IVF has marked its presence in many other states but there are only a few IVF centres in Bhubaneswar. It will take a good time even for the private players to establish these facilities in the city.

However, Dr Gurmeet Kaur, another infertility expert begs to differ. “If IVF facility is introduced in government hospitals, it will really benefit the needy infertile couples. But how much they can monitor and regulate them is a question to ponder over. IVF is a very specialized treatment which includes a cycle of injections and medicines pre and post procedure. If some key hormonal injections are not given on time citing shortage of drugs or any other reason, the whole procedure will go in vain.”  

Although the decision to start these facilities lies in the hands of state governments, the only expected beneficiary is likely to be the infertile couples who need this treatment. “I was unable to conceive naturally because my husband had azospermia (no sperm count). I underwent IVF treatment in 2007 outside the state because at that time, these techniques were hardly available in my state. I had to pay around Rs 80,000 but it yielded no result. It was really a bad experience as even after spending so much money I did not conceive. Had it been a government hospital, I am sure I would had to pay less,” says Suruchi Mohapatra.

Experts say that the whole process of in-vitro fertilization is a complex one. One needs to have liquid nitrogen containers to keep quality sperms at good health before being inseminated. Another hassle is in maintaining the pre and post insemination health of the woman. A woman needs to undertake a battery of injections and medicines to make her ready for the procedure. After the procedure also the woman needs to take adequate medicines.

Usually the private clinics charge around Rs 60,000-1lakh for the procedure. But the government hospitals who are providing these facilities are giving it to the needy in a range of Rs 20,000-35,000 and there are also a few hospitals like AIIMS which offer the procedure free of cost. SMS Medical College provides it at an affordable rate for BPL families.