Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2018-01-09

Establishment of comprehensive 'Sub-fertility' Management Service Centres

- 'Sub-fertility' and the 'Inability to achieve pregnancy' is a problem faced by more than 15% among the Sri Lankan married couples. This has caused negative social consequences which include marital instability, social isolation, lack of domestic support, exclusion from inheritance of property.

Accordingly, the need to improve the services provided by the public health services at present, for treatment provided for sub-fertility has been identified. Under this programme, the proposal made by Hon. (Dr.) Rajitha Senaratne, the Minister of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine, to initially establish a comprehensive sub-fertility treatment centre with modern services such as in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and egg/embryo freezing as well, in the Castle Street Hospital for Women in Colombo, a second such centre in the New Maternity Hospital at Karapitya in Galle and to develop one such centre each in all the remaining Provinces under Phase III of the programme, was approved by the Cabinet.