Effective fertility treatment available locally: Chua

(Taken from "THE SUN", Wednesday, June 4, 2003)
Link to Dato Dr. Chua's Speech

PETALING JAYA: Despite the much lauded successess in fertility clinics, the statistics of one cllinic indicate that 60% of transferred embyros do not result in live births.

Couples without children, it seems, are still willing to brave the costly and sometimes painful fertility treatments rather than adopt a child.

Infertility affects 10-15% of couples worldwide.

The Damansara Fertility Centre's delivery rate of 40.3% for every embryo transfer is better than that achieved by clinics in Britain and comparable with the best in the United States.

Health Minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng said doctors should stop referring infertile couples to clinics abroad as the facilities are available in the country.

"I understand that some doctors are still referring patients to Singapore for fertility treatment, when we are achieving good results here," he said at the launch of the Malaysian Twins Support Group at the Damansara centre yesterday.

Transparency, in respect of success rates, is important to dispel the notion that Malaysia is lagging behind developed countries.

Dr. Colin Lee, medical director of the Damansara centre, said: "I hope it will become mandatory for all in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) centres to declare their pregnancy rates."

He also said there is a need for a regulatory body to monitor the practices of IVF centres as well as the rates recorded.

Chua said the Private Health Care Facilities and Services Act, which will cover private Fertility clinics, is expected to be gazetted later this year.

The Kuala Lumpur Hospital is renovating its Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) laboratory for RM1 million.

This will serve as a prototype for five new regional Ministry of Health ART centres which are being set up in major hospitals.

Chua also said Fertility clinics in the country should set up websites to advertise their services to attract people from overseas.

"Indeed, patients from Singapore and Indonesia are already trickling into Malaysia for fertility treatment, and with the continued development of this discipline, there is no reason why Malaysia cannot be a health tourism destination for these services," he said.

The bottom line is that while these clinics do help couples wanting to have their own child, fertility treatment is also a business, Chua said.