Mater Dei Hospital kick starts IVF treatment services

As of today IVF treatment is being offered through the new facilities installed at Mater Dei Hospital.

The facilities, which include a theatre and 2 laboratories specifically assigned to IVF and andrology, have been granted the necessary license in accordance with the Embryo Protection Act, protocol of the Authority for the Protection of Embryo, and European directives in force to carry such procedures.

The facilities at Mater Dei also cater for the freezing of gametes (cryopreservation).

“We are very proud of our medical team for achieving this milestone. The Department of Health envisages that by the end of 2015 around 150 to 200 couples would have benefitted from this IVF service through six sessions lasting a fortnight each. The first cycle that started today will involve 30 couples,” parliamentary secretary for health Chris Fearne said.

Fearne said that the IVF services at Mater Dei enjoys close collaboration between Maltese professionals in the field and overseas embryologists. Over the last months a number of nurses and councillors undertook specialised training on topics related to infertility by the British Infertility Counselling Association, the only accredited association in this field in the United Kingdom.

IVF services in Malta are open for women aged 25 to 42 years. In line with established protocols women over the age of 40 can undergo two cycles while those who have not yet reached the age of 40 will be given the opportunity of three cycles.