PANAJI
In-vitro Fertilisation (IVF) treatment will now be available to childless Goan couples free of cost at the Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) from September 1.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, who launched the super-speciality at the State’s premier public health institution on Monday, claimed that it will make Goa the first State in the country to provide IVF treatment for free.
The Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and intrauterine insemination (IUI)/IVF Centre was launched at the super-speciality block of the GMCH where Chief Minsiter Pramod Sawant and other dignitaries were also present.
Rane said Rs 2 crore received through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding was used to procure equipment and pledged to provide top-notch services.
Prominent Goan IVF expert Dr Kedar Padte has been roped in to manage the centre and Rane said with him on board GMC will be in a position to provide top of the line services.
Rane also said, that the government was taking gradual steps to introduce new treatments in the public health system, adding that 50 nurses are being sent to the Tata Memorial Hospital in Mumbai for specialised training in cancer treatment care.
A ‘mother and child’ block is also being set up at the GMCH which will be integrated with the hospital’s gynecology department, he added.
According to him, infertility issues are plaguing nearly 20 per-cent of Goa’s couples and many travel outside the State to avail advanced and costly treatment costing between Rs 5-9 lakhs.
GMCH Dean, Dr Shivanand Bandekar said the cost to the government for the IVF treatment at the centre will average between Rs 5-7 lakhs.
