Fertility centres popular

JOHOR BARU, July 27: Fertility clinics are the latest medical fad here, with four centres opening in the past year.
Almost all of them are believed to be eyeing the lucrative Singapore market for childless couples.
The centres, which cost close to RM1 million to establish, offer specialised services in in-vitro fertilisation — a medical technique where the embryo is fertilised in the laboratory before being transferred to the womb.
These centres are becoming increasingly popular with Singaporeans and the expatriate community in the republic because of low costs and high success rates.
However, the majority of the patients seeking treatment are still locals, said Johor Specialist Hospital (JSH) Fertility Centre medical co-ordinator Dr Mohanraj Krisnasamy.
"Of the 25 patients now, only seven are Singaporeans," he said, adding that JSH would like to see more foreigners as part of its health tourism package.
But Singaporeans cannot use funds in their Medisave (part of the Central Provident Fund) to pay for IVF treatments outside the country. "This is a deterrent for Singaporean patients," said Dr Mohanraj.
Couples in Singapore can withdraw S$6,000 (RM13,650) for their first IVF attempt at home, and S$5,000 and S$4,000 for their next two.
The cost of the procedure here averages between RM12,000 and RM16,000, compared to as much as S$13,000 in Singapore.
But cost, says Damansara Fertility Centre resident gynaecologist Dr Surinder Singh, is often not the main concern when choosing a fertility centre.
"The main criterion is the success rate," he said, pointing out that DFC’s main clinic in Kuala Lumpur, which opened in 1994, had a delivery rate of 41 per cent in 2003, based on the number of embryos transferred.
This translates to 65 per cent in terms of actual babies delivered, as some were twins and triplets.
In contrast, the success rate of IVF centres in Singapore, going by Health Ministry figures there, ranges between 16 per cent and 28 per cent, based on the number of babies born.
"It is the work done at the lab which ultimately determines the success or failure of the entire IVF procedure. The experience and quality of the embryologist makes a big difference," said Dr Mohanraj.
Dr Surinder said Damansara’s success was due to its focus on fertility treatment.
"Our operating theatre is designed especially for IVF procedures, with humidity and temperature mimicking conditions in the womb."
Source