Doctors at My Duc Hospital provide in vitro fertilization (IVF) to a woman. (Source: Photo courtesy of the hospital) HCM City (VNS/VNA) – For four years, Le Thi Binh and her husbandtried to have a baby. But it was not until the couple received free in vitrofertilisation (IVF) from a charity programme based in HCM City that their dreambecame a reality.
“No words can express what I felt at the time when doctors said that I waspregnant,” Binh said.
The charity Uom Mam Hanh Phuc (Nurturing Happiness) at My Duc Hospitalin HCM City provided the free IVF treatment to the couple, who were too poor topay for it.
“After one year of marriage, we visited an obstetrics hospital and anotherspecialising in men’s health in HCM City. We were told that my husband’s healthwas the problem,” Bình said. “So we returned to our hometown and drank herbssince that was cheap. But, after one year, then two, and then three, we stillhad no child.”
One day, Bình read about the Uom Mam Hanh Phuc programme via socialmedia and applied for it immediately.
“I was lucky. The programme’s staff called and congratulated me for beingchosen. That was in early 2016. I got pregnant in the first IVF cycle. Now, ourchild is 28 months old,” she said.
Binh and her husband are one of 86 couples who have participated in the charityprogramme since 2014, when it was founded. Each year, the charity chooses about30 couples to take part in the programme.
Dr Nguyen Khanh Linh of My Duc Hospital said the number of couples in theprogramme’s 2018-2019 season had increased to 44.
“We feel joy whenever my colleagues and I see success and the couples getpregnant and a baby is born. This encourages us to continue the programme,”Linh said.
“I examine many patients who have financial difficulties and can only affordone or two IVF cycles. If these fail, they cannot continue the procedurebecause they can’t pay for it,” she added.
One couple, for example, had tried two unsuccessful IVF cycles, but were forcedto stop because of lack of money. Linh called the wife, and the couple werechosen for the programme after providing an application. They now have achild.
Thus far, the programme hasreceived 621 applicants in Vietnam, but only 167 of them have been chosenbecause of the charity’s limited funds.
Most of the funds are donated by My Duc Hospital’s staff and doctors, andseveral wealthy couples who have benefited from IVF at the hospital have alsodonated funds, with the hope of helping others who are less fortunate.
Dr Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, known as the “godmother of infertile couples” in thecountry and the first person in Vietnam to offer a fertility treatment in whichembryos were introduced directly into the uterus, is Chairwoman of the HCM CityReproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Association.
She noted that many people in the country were still poor, “so the cost forIVF, which is actually lower than in many other countries, is higher than theirincome.”
Financial assistance is especially needed because of family pressure anddiscriminatory attitudes.
“I’ve worked as an obstetrician and gynaecologist for a long time. I’ve metcouples who could not give birth. Of these, the women suffered a lot. They wereblamed for the infertility. In these cases, the husband’s family oftenencouraged him to divorce his wife.
“I always to say to the programme’s doctors that they should do their best anddo not let these couples feel self-pity because they don’t have enough moneyfor IVF,” Phuong said.
In other countries such as France, health insurance covers the costs for threeIVF cycles, but Vietnam’s health insurance fund does not cover the costs.
Linh said the fund should cover part of the costs and regulate the proportionof coverage for IVF treatment.
Other charity programmes to assist poor infertile couples are also beingprovided at other hospitals in the country.
After more than 20 years of development, IVF treatment in Vietnam is well knownamong many patients and doctors in other countries for its success rate ofnearly 50 percent and its comparably lower costs.
More and more couples from the US, France and other countries as well asoverseas Vietnamese are coming to Vietnam for IVF treatment.
Foreign doctors also visit the country to learn IVF techniques from theirVietnamese counterparts who perform the world’s most advanced techniques. AndIVF centres in other countries often invite Vietnamese physicians to work andteach at their centres and hospitals.-VNS/VNA
“No words can express what I felt at the time when doctors said that I waspregnant,” Binh said.
The charity Uom Mam Hanh Phuc (Nurturing Happiness) at My Duc Hospitalin HCM City provided the free IVF treatment to the couple, who were too poor topay for it.
“After one year of marriage, we visited an obstetrics hospital and anotherspecialising in men’s health in HCM City. We were told that my husband’s healthwas the problem,” Bình said. “So we returned to our hometown and drank herbssince that was cheap. But, after one year, then two, and then three, we stillhad no child.”
One day, Bình read about the Uom Mam Hanh Phuc programme via socialmedia and applied for it immediately.
“I was lucky. The programme’s staff called and congratulated me for beingchosen. That was in early 2016. I got pregnant in the first IVF cycle. Now, ourchild is 28 months old,” she said.
Binh and her husband are one of 86 couples who have participated in the charityprogramme since 2014, when it was founded. Each year, the charity chooses about30 couples to take part in the programme.
Dr Nguyen Khanh Linh of My Duc Hospital said the number of couples in theprogramme’s 2018-2019 season had increased to 44.
“We feel joy whenever my colleagues and I see success and the couples getpregnant and a baby is born. This encourages us to continue the programme,”Linh said.
“I examine many patients who have financial difficulties and can only affordone or two IVF cycles. If these fail, they cannot continue the procedurebecause they can’t pay for it,” she added.
One couple, for example, had tried two unsuccessful IVF cycles, but were forcedto stop because of lack of money. Linh called the wife, and the couple werechosen for the programme after providing an application. They now have achild.
Thus far, the programme hasreceived 621 applicants in Vietnam, but only 167 of them have been chosenbecause of the charity’s limited funds.
Most of the funds are donated by My Duc Hospital’s staff and doctors, andseveral wealthy couples who have benefited from IVF at the hospital have alsodonated funds, with the hope of helping others who are less fortunate.
Dr Nguyen Thi Ngoc Phuong, known as the “godmother of infertile couples” in thecountry and the first person in Vietnam to offer a fertility treatment in whichembryos were introduced directly into the uterus, is Chairwoman of the HCM CityReproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Association.
She noted that many people in the country were still poor, “so the cost forIVF, which is actually lower than in many other countries, is higher than theirincome.”
Financial assistance is especially needed because of family pressure anddiscriminatory attitudes.
“I’ve worked as an obstetrician and gynaecologist for a long time. I’ve metcouples who could not give birth. Of these, the women suffered a lot. They wereblamed for the infertility. In these cases, the husband’s family oftenencouraged him to divorce his wife.
“I always to say to the programme’s doctors that they should do their best anddo not let these couples feel self-pity because they don’t have enough moneyfor IVF,” Phuong said.
In other countries such as France, health insurance covers the costs for threeIVF cycles, but Vietnam’s health insurance fund does not cover the costs.
Linh said the fund should cover part of the costs and regulate the proportionof coverage for IVF treatment.
Other charity programmes to assist poor infertile couples are also beingprovided at other hospitals in the country.
After more than 20 years of development, IVF treatment in Vietnam is well knownamong many patients and doctors in other countries for its success rate ofnearly 50 percent and its comparably lower costs.
More and more couples from the US, France and other countries as well asoverseas Vietnamese are coming to Vietnam for IVF treatment.
Foreign doctors also visit the country to learn IVF techniques from theirVietnamese counterparts who perform the world’s most advanced techniques. AndIVF centres in other countries often invite Vietnamese physicians to work andteach at their centres and hospitals.-VNS/VNA
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