The Chief Medical Director, St. Ives Specialist Hospital, Lagos Dr. Tunde Okewale, has said the hospital will subsidise the cost of Intro-Vitro Fertilisation treatment for fertility challenged couples by 50 per cent.
He noted that the yearly promo, which is offered in collaboration with the hospital’s foundation, is aimed at assisting childless couples who could not afford the cost of the treatment.
According to him, although IVF is effective in treating infertility, the cost of the procedure has discouraged many couples who need it.
Okewale said, “The issue of cost has been a major challenge to those that need the service. A cycle of IVF treatment costs between N800,000 and N1m. How many Nigerians can afford it?
“If the price is slashed through discounts, more couples who need it will be able to access it. So, we decided to do the subsidy in order to meet the clamour for this particular form of treatment.
“ The yearly 50- Percent-Discount Promotion in IVF has helped many patients in the last six years and still thrives. It aims to reduce the financial burden on couples that are experiencing delay in procreation as a result of one fertility challenge or the other.”
Noting that the treatment was expensive, the gynaecologist urged the government to encourage the training of personnel in ways to handle IVF cases in specialist hospitals.
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