By Ijendu Iheaka
Dr Okechukwu Kalu, a Fertility Expert and Consultant Pediatrician and Gynecologist has urged government to support efforts of infertile couples seeking children through giving health insurance coverage to fertility treatments.
Kalu who is the Proprietor, Life Point Fertility Centre, Aba, Abia made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Aba on Wednesday.
Kalu said that fertility treatments are expensive and should have some level of coverage in Nigeria’s health insurance to ensure that many poor couples can access it.
The consultant Pediatrician and Gynecologist noted that the support would increase the psychological wellbeing of childless couples and also replenish the country’s population.
He said that Nigeria like many other countries, is recording higher numbers of infertility cases hence action should be taken to stem the tide which has socio-economic consequences.
“One out of every 10 married persons, will require some form of help and of that accruing number, about one to two percent might not get help through the conventional method of conception.
“So, they need Invitro – Fertilization (IVF) which is the process of aiding human fertilization outside the body using a scientific method.
“People that require Invitro -fertilization or IVF are so many but the number of doctors in practice in this area are not enough.
“More hands are needed, and you know it is a process and to get the qualifications to practice takes a lot of time, money and energy.
“But brain drain is a big problem affecting every aspect of medical practice in Nigeria because the best of the bests keeps leaving and so some of us that remain need encouragement.
“Brain drain is really affecting medical practice in Nigeria as doctors leave daily but unfortunately the government of the day does not appear to understand how serious the situation is.
“It is so serious and dire a situation that very soon, if nothing is done to reverse this situation you will have Pharmacists taking care of many sicknesses and taking the place of doctors, in Nigeria”, he said.
Kalu said the situation could be made conducive by government putting up encouraging packages and facilities in the sector to keep doctors back home in Nigeria.
He said some doctors who do fertility and reproductive health treatments are not qualified to be certified by the Association for Fertility and Reproductive Health of Nigeria (AFRH).
He further said that the AFRH led by Dr Ibrahim Wada, is working to check quackery in the sector with its regulatory bill that has passed second reading at the National Assembly.
Kalu expressed hope that soonest quackery and other sources of abuse of infertile couples will be checked for the good of all Nigerians.
