DOCTORS’ FORUM SEEKS REGULATION FOR IVF TREATMENT

Medical doctors who brainstormed at the recent Doctors Forum organised by Pathcare Laboratory Nigeria have called for strict regulation and monitoring of Invitro Fertilisation (IVF) activities in the country following the rise in the profile of the practice even as they stressed the need for prenatal diagnosis.
The medical doctors regretted that although IVF is currently carried out in 17 IVF centres, Nigeria is yet to establish any regulatory measures concerning the practice resulting into a situation where there is no consistency among fertility experts.
In his paper entitled: "Ethical Considerations in IVF", Managing Director of Bridge Clinic, Dr. Richard Ajayi, affirmed that the practice needs to be regulated to safeguard the practice from imminent disaster.
Ajayi who was of the view that society norms and cultural values should guard any regulatory measure on the practice maintained that there should be regulation to protect the expansion of the procedure.
"Science is rapidly advancing and these issues will come up. Unfortunately, in Nigeria there is no legislative frame work to regulate the procedure. However, as doctors working in the society, whatever we do should be acceptable to the society. Therefore, we should look at societal position in determining what we do in IVF.”
On the debate on whom should be given opportunity to IVF treatment, the doctors who were divided on a number of ethical and social norms raised at the forum unanimously agreed on the importance of IVF but said that the services should not be offered to single women.
On the debate on whom should be given opportunity to IVF treatment, the doctors who were divided on a number of ethical and social norms raised at the forum unanimously agreed on the importance of IVF but said that the services should not be offered to single women.
In her submission, Chairman Pathcare Nigeria, Prof. Ibironke Akinsete, was of the view that divorced women and widows should be considered.
In his paper on Prenatal Diagnosis", Dr Olajuwon Alibi, a Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, noted that the importance of prenatal diagnosis in society, "is all about finding information that affects the baby while in the womb without causing any harm to the mother.”
Alabi said prenatal diagnosis facilitates timely medical or surgical treatment o a condition before or after birth.
Listing conditions where prenatal diagnosis is required, he said in cases such as Down syndrome, sickle cell anaemia, high cost has remained a major problem in the society.
Although, he agreed about the high cost of the diagnosis he stressed the need to get to the objective of the diagnosis. Alabi who also reasoned that the prenatal diagnosis is not done in cases such as sickle cell anaemia for the woman to terminate the pregnancy said it is mostly for the couple to make inform decision as well as plan ahead for the outcome of the tests.
He said such diagnosis is to improve quality of life of the unborn child and not to destroy it. He called for regulation of abortion in that regard. "A lot of these tests are done for rest of mind not to create more problems.”
Source: allafrica.com