This year, infertility treatment was included in the Medical Guarantee Program for the first time. The service is available free of charge at 16 medical institutions in the country that have a contract with the National Health Service for the package “Treatment of Infertility with Assisted Reproductive Technologies (In Vitro Fertilization)”.
There are such facilities in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Dnipro, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, and Rivne regions. In particular, in the Lviv region, the service is provided by three medical institutions under an agreement with the NHSU: Professor S. Khmil Clinic LLC, Lviv Regional Clinical Perinatal Center, and the Multidisciplinary Clinical Hospital of Intensive Care and Emergency Medical Services (First TMC of Lviv).
In total, 346 patients have already used the service free of charge, 124 of them in Lviv region. Since the beginning of the year, 130 women who have received medical services for infertility treatment under the Medical Guarantees Program have already become pregnant.
Infertility treatment using assisted reproductive technologies (in vitro fertilization) is a scientifically proven method of overcoming the problem of infertility used in many developed countries. The method is complex and expensive, which is why it is rarely used among women diagnosed with infertility.
“Unfortunately, the birth rate in Ukraine is rapidly declining. In order to help Ukrainian families experience the joy of parenthood, the Medical Guarantees Program 2024 includes a new package of services – “Treatment of infertility with the help of assisted reproductive technologies”. This means that people diagnosed with infertility can receive treatment free of charge in medical institutions that have a contract with the National Health Service of Ukraine. The state pays more than UAH 60 thousand for one cycle of artificial insemination. In total, more than UAH 1.8 billion is allocated for infertility treatment in the budget of the Medical Guarantees Program for this year,” says Natalia HUSAK, Head of the NHSU.
What services does a patient receive free of charge?
The scope of free medical care within the package “Treatment of infertility with the help of assisted reproductive technologies (in vitro fertilization)” includes
- evaluation of the results of preliminary examinations, examination and counseling of patients on the feasibility of infertility treatment with the help of assisted reproductive technologies;
- performing controlled drug stimulation of the ovaries in a woman undergoing ART treatment;
- aspiration of the contents of ovarian follicles under the control of ultrasound examination and search for oocytes in the follicular fluid of a woman to be treated with ART;
- Anesthesia for the stage of transvaginal aspiration of ovarian follicles, consultation with an anesthesiologist;
- Obtaining sperm from the husband of a woman who has indications for ART treatment, as well as special processing of sperm and its preparation for fertilization;
- fertilization of eggs and cultivation of the resulting embryos;
- embryo transfer;
- monitoring the patient’s condition before pregnancy;
- ultrasound examination of the patient’s pelvic organs;
- selection of a stimulation regimen, medications, and correction of their doses, taking into account the patient’s individual characteristics, clinical and ultrasound examination and monitoring results;
- provision of medicines for all stages of the ART cycle;
- preimplantation medical and genetic diagnostics of the embryo for medical reasons, etc.
The full scope of medical care can be found here: https://cutt.ly/lesIjfvy.
How to get a free infertility treatment service?
Receive an electronic referral from a medical facility that has a special multidisciplinary consultation that refers adults for infertility treatment using assisted reproductive technologies under the Medical Guarantee Program.
Have a diagnosis of female infertility or male infertility. Important! The patient’s age at the beginning of the cycle should not exceed 40 years.
To seek infertility treatment at a medical facility that provides these services under a contract with the NHSU.
You can find the nearest institution that has an appropriate contract with the NHSU for the package by calling the NHSU contact center at 16-77. Or use the information panel (dashboard) “Concluded contracts for medical care of the population under the medical guarantees program”. Select the region, community or settlement and the name of the service package “Treatment of infertility using assisted reproductive technologies (in vitro fertilization)”. The map will show medical institutions that have a contract with the NHSU for the infertility treatment package.
Treatment is possible both on an outpatient basis and on an inpatient basis, including day care, depending on the doctor’s prescription. The medical institution guarantees confidentiality of treatment.
Learn more about the free medical services available under the Medical Guarantee Program in the electronic guide “Guide to the Medical Guarantee Program for Patients 2024”. You can download the guide here: https://cutt.ly/Nw5buw0b.