Infertile couples here are now being offered the opportunity to have children through artificial insemination, better known as In vitro fertilisation (IVF), through the Dr Balwant Singh Hospital.

In an advertisement in yesterday’s Sunday Stabroek the hospital announced the commencement of the programme, which is the first such programme in Guyana, and interested couples are asked to make contact with the hospital to register.

IVF is a process by which egg cells are fertilised by sperm outside of the womb. It is applied when other methods of assisted reproduction have failed. The process involves hormonally controlling the ovulatory process, removing ova (eggs) from the woman’s ovaries and letting sperm fertilise them in a fluid medium. The fertilised egg (zygote) is then transferred to the woman’s uterus with the intent to establish a successful pregnancy. The first test tube baby was born in 1978 in the UK.

Couples can contact the hospital’s 314 East Street, South Cummingsburg location or dial telephone numbers 226-5783, 227-1087 or 226-4279.