The otherwise costly and rarely-opted-for procedure for married couples with fertility issues in Pakistan, the test-tube baby facility will now be an option for many who wish to have children, as the Government of Punjab will launch a 600-bed facility to offer services free of cost at Lahore’s Mother & Child Hospital. Prime Minister Imran Khan will inaugurate the facility in June 2022.

The concept of test-tube baby, also called in-vitro fertilization (IVF), is not new to the world, yet its use in developing countries like Pakistan is rare due to its cost. It is one of the many scientific techniques adopted to help people with fertility problems have children.

A few top private hospitals offer the facility in Pakistan. However, at the government level, it is the first time that the Punjab government will introduce it in one of the public hospitals in Lahore.

In a statement, Health Minister Punjab, Dr. Yasmin Rashid, said this would be Pakistan’s first-ever gynecology department to offer IVF.

“It will treat pregnancy complications whether due to physiological or reproductive issues,” she added.

What is IVF and How Does it Work?

During IVF, an egg is removed from the woman’s ovary and fertilized with sperm in a laboratory. The baby grows in a glass jar as an embryo, and later it is placed in the mother’s womb to further grow and develop.

The private sector hospitals in Pakistan charge up to Rs. 400,000 for each session, and the procedure involves multiple sittings. However, the Mother & Child Hospital will offer the complete procedure for free.

IVF and Islamic Shariah

In 2017, the Federal Shariat Court validated the use of IVF procedure for conceiving for married couples.

“This process cannot be considered as illegal or against the Injunctions of Holy Quran and Sunnah,” the court had said.

The court, however, declared any other condition for obtaining a test-tube baby, such as surrogacy, against Islamic laws.

Source: Pro Pakistani