Forty-seven couples in 2020 asked for in vitro fertilization financed from the mandatory health insurance funds. The couples didn’t include HIV-infected persons who can apply for such a procedure starting with last January.

In a response to an inquiry made by IPN, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Protection said that four private health facilities were contracted last year to provide medical assisted reproductive services from the mandatory health insurance funds. These are: the Medical Center “Repromed”, the International Hospital “Medpark”, the Medical Center “TerraMed” and the Clinic “Familia” (New Med Life). A sum of 2.125,8 million lei was allocated for the purpose.

To be selected and benefit from in vitro fertilization funded by the state, the couples must meet a number of medical criteria. The program is intended for couples who underwent conventional treatment during minimum five years but without results. The eligible couples can benefit from one in vitro fertilization procedure financed with money from the mandatory health insurance funds.

All the couples that meet the medical criteria are put in a register of files of insured couples with an appropriate number of order so that they could be identified in the future, this being also the waiting list.

The Ministry of Health said there are no statistics about the number of infertile couples in Moldova. As regards the number of in vitro fertilization operations performed in 2020, the relevant data are being collected and processed.