Thirteen more couples were last week added to the municipal in vitro fertilization program. According to the General Medical and Social Assistance Division, the dynamics are good and the number of beneficiaries of the program is expected to reach 100 by October. The subject was discussed at the ordinary meeting of officials of municipal services, IPN reports.

“We have pretty good dynamics. We expect that by October we will reach that quota of 100 couples who will be included in this program and will benefit from an in vitro fertilization procedure free of charge, as provided by the Chisinau Municipal Council’s regulations and decision,” the Division’s deputy head Vladimir Bolocan stated in the meeting.

Under the regulations, the beneficiaries are infertile women or couples who have not previously applied for in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures within the national program financed by the National Health Insurance Company. The beneficiaries cannot access both of the programs at the same time. Also, the woman should have lived in Chisinau municipality on a permanent basis for at least two years.

Initially, the couples or the single woman, as the case may be, must contact the family doctor at the place of living to have the necessary primary examinations that are carried out free of charge for those who have a health policy (people without a policy will pay for the mandatory examinations themselves). Subsequently, the applicants will be referred to the Local Evaluation Commission of the Local Medical Association to have the eligibility determined and to be issued with a confirmation document to have the files accepted by the Evaluation Commission.

Based on the medical conclusions of eligibility, the couple or single woman will submit the application for inclusion in the municipal program to have the IVF procedure financed by presenting a number of documents.

An amount of 6 million lei is allocated annually in the local budget of Chisinau for this municipal program.