New Delhi: Goa on Monday became the first state in India to provide free IVF treatment. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant launched the facility, along with assisted reproductive technology (ART) and intrauterine insemination (IUI) at Goa Medical College (GMC), Bambolim.
Around 100 parents have already registered with GMC to avail of the IVF facility at its super-speciality block, as per Times of India. The chief minister said that the state government is achieving one milestone after another in healthcare.
“Recognising the need for specialised care, we have established a streamlined process,” he said. “Infertility patients will be referred from the obstetrics and gynecology OPD to the ART centre, ensuring a seamless transition from diagnosis to proper workup, counseling, and treatment. This comprehensive approach will ensure that every patient receives personalised attention and the best possible care.”
The CM said that the department has always been a bustling hub of medical care, and attends to the needs of numerous patients every year. The department has 19,000 OPD patients and 4,300 deliveries every year. “Today, we take this a step further by addressing the needs of another segment of our population – infertility patients,” he said.
Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, who was also present at the occasion, said that people are taken for a ride when they go out of state for treatment. “This is the first hospital in the country that is going to have IVF treatment free of charge. No money will be charged for patients, and money will come through CSR,”
Rane said.