The Medical Director/Chief Executive Officer, Clearview Hospital, Dr. Kunle Ajayi, has urged the Federal Government to implement policies and tax waiver on importation of consumables and other incentives to assist fertility centres to thrive in the country.

Ajayi made the call at Clearview Hospital’s sixth year anniversary, which featured a tour of its facility in Lagos.

He said 85 per cent of all the consumables used in the fertility centre for treatment were imported at high cost due to foreign exchange rate and high Customs duties.

According to him, the harsh business environment has forced many certified professional fertility centres to shut down, noting that the development was giving quacks the opportunity to cause mayhem among unsuspecting couples seeking cheap services.

Ajayi said developed countries assist practitioners in their health sector by providing financing and other incentives to boost their operations for the growth of the economy and wellbeing of the citizens.

He said while Nigeria allocates five per cent of its national budget to health, foreign countries allocate about 11 per cent.

Ajayi called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to provide intervention funds to qualified fertility clinics to boost the country’s IVF success from 30 per cent to more and make it a destination for IVF treatment.

He also reiterated the hospital’s commitment to boosting healthcare with cutting edge technology, adding that for the past six years there have been over 350 deliveries recorded with no maternal mortality.

The Managing Director said the hospital has attracted patients from foreign countries for IVF treatment, keyhole surgery and other treatment to boost fertility among couples, as well as position Nigeria as a tourist destination for successful healthcare treatment.

The keynote speaker, an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr. Fatai Tijani, said while 100 per cent IVF success rate has not been achieved in any part of the world, fertility centres in Nigeria should strive to achieve 40 per cent by ensuring efficiency in their practice.

Tijani congratulated Clearview Hospital team on their IVF project to reduce the rate of infertility among couples in the country.

He urged fertility centres to be efficient in their procedures for IVF treatment, while carrying out the appropriate investigations and tests on the couples to achieve positive results.