New Delhi, Feb. 25: Thank you, central godfather.

Childless central government employees, who need IVF treatment for conceiving that little bundle of joy, can now count on their employer for help following an order that says the Centre will reimburse part of the expenses for the procedure.

The assistance, part of the Central Government Health Scheme, will be available from April, when the new financial year starts. All central government departments received the circular last week.

The beneficiaries — women employees or wives of employees — will have to be between 21 and 39. The IVF procedure, or in vitro fertilisation, will have to be done in a government institution, though it may be allowed, on a case-to-case basis, in a private institution registered with a state government or the Centre.

According to guidelines framed by the ministry of health and family welfare, the reimbursement will be allowed for a maximum of three cycles of treatment. “An amount not exceeding Rs 65,000 (Rupees sixty-five thousand only) per cycle or the actual cost, whichever is lower, will be allowed for reimbursement. This amount will be inclusive of the cost of drugs and disposables and monitoring cost during IVF procedures,” the order says.

Since the scheme covers three cycles, the total benefit will amount to Rs 1.95 lakh. IVF treatment costs between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 1.5 lakh per cycle on an average, including medicines. The cycles could stretch beyond three, depending on the health of the patient.

The circular, which has come at a time India’s burgeoning population is well over a billion, is sure to cause some ripples, but it shows the government is moving in sync with the times. According to reports, the country has some 10 crore childless couples, many of whom have opted for IVF treatment.

As of now, the government reimburses 75 per cent of the expenses an employee incurs for the birth of two children in a state-run hospital.

The government order says requests for reimbursement for IVF treatment will be considered only on the basis of clearance from the head of department of gynaecology and obstetrics of a government institution. This clearance will have to be approved by the heads of departments where the employees work.

The order also says the reimbursement will be granted only in cases of infertility where a couple have no living issue. The beneficiaries will have to take permission from the ministry or department concerned before going for the treatment.

The reimbursement will be a one-time benefit. “The concerned ministry or department shall obtain an undertaking from the applicant that he or she has not claimed the reimbursement earlier from the Government of India in the past and will not claim it in the future,” the order says.