IVF treatment increases in Ho
The number of women giving birth through In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) at the Ho Royal Hospital and Fertility Centre in Ho has increased since the early part of last year when the facility introduced the procedure among its services.
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From 30 cases last year, the hospital has registered 80 patients for this year. The women are between the ages of 30 and 50 years and cost for the treatment at the facility is about GH¢45,000.
IVF is a type of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) which works by using a combination of medicines and surgical procedures to help sperm fertilise an egg, and help the fertilised egg implanted in the uterus or incubator.
According to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the hospital, Dr Eric Amakpa, the cases include married women not only from the Volta Region but also from other parts of the country, neighbouring Togo, as well as Benin and Nigeria.
He said among last year’s cases was a woman who gave birth to triplets.
Dr Amakpa said all the clients were married women, including a 53-year-old woman who was successfully delivered of her babies though the treatment.
He said there was now the awareness among Ghanaians that there was nothing stigmatic about IVF treatment.
These babies were born to an elderly woman at the centre through IVF
Dr Amakpa said the IVF treatment at the centre was done in collaboration with Mediport Fertility Centre in Accra, with a 45 per cent success rate.
He advised couples trying for a child to remain patient for at least one year, before opting for fertility treatment.
Dr Amakpa said the centre would continue to carry out vigorous public education programmes to convince couples who wanted babies to come for treatment.
“In any case, babies from IVF are just as healthy as other babies,” he pointed out.
Dr Amakpa gave an assurance that in spite of the soaring number of clients registering at the centre, the facility would definitely treat the 80 cases pending before the end of this year.
