– My Bulawayo news reporter

The Bulawayo Assisted Reproductive Technology (BART) centre opened its doors and began operating December  2016 and this has given  hope to couples who are struggling to have their own children. Back then couples had to go,  to Harare, and across the continent to get such a service. This saw high expenses being incured by Bulawayo couples.

Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa last week visited the new facility, situated  at the Medical Centre in the heart of Bulawayo central business district.

Accompaning the minister of Health and Child welfare was  a group of doctors from various provinces and officials from different hospitals. He commended the gynaecologist in charge of the institution, Dr Jephat Moyo, for establishing the fertility clinic, saying the institution was long overdue. He urged people in Matabeleland region to take advantage of the IVF centre and reduce burdens of having to travel to other countries for such a service.

“We established the unit to address an important need in society. The BART centre will be able to address infertility problems among couples. Infertility is a problem that affects 20 percent of couples worldwide.”

 

IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) is a procedure, used to overcome a range of fertility issues, by which an egg and sperm are joined together outside the body, in a specialised laboratory. The fertilised egg  is allowed to grow in a protected environment for some days before being transferred into the woman’s uterus increasing the chance that a pregnancy will occur.

In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) can be used to overcome a range of fertility issues and for many couples, gives them the best chance of having a baby. -Chronicle