Childless couples in Dhanbad now have a reason to smile.
The first clinic to offer in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment in the district will open doors on Wednesday.
Satvik IVF will be inaugurated by parliamentary affairs minister Saryu Roy on the second floor of the City Centre mall. President of Indian Society of Assisted Reproduction Narendra Malhotra and his wife Jaideep Malhotra, both fertility experts, will be present on the occasion.
A special camp on infertility and allied problems will also be held on that day.
The brainchild of a young Dhanbad gynaecologist, Dr Neha Priyadarshini (32), the clinic promises a new era for infertility treatments in the district.
Daughter of famous coal belt gynaecologist Shivani Jha and former chairman of Bokaro Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA) Vijay Jha, Priyadarshini decided to launch the facility in her hometown "because I love the people here and it's my favourite place".
Priyadarshni, who completed her MBBS from PMCH, her hometown, and her postgraduation from Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College in Maharashtra, has topped the IVF course organised by Indian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 2014.
"IVF apart, other facilities like intrauterine insemination, intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo freezing will also be available at the clinic," she said.
"Of all facilities, intrauterine insemination is common, offered at many places in Dhanbad. It is a form of assisted conception during which the doctor places prepared sperm in the womb near the egg at the time of ovulation. The cost will range between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000. But, the other facilities like IVF, intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo freezing are new for the coal town residents," said Priyadarshini.
IVF is the process in which eggs are removed from the ovary and mixed with sperm in a lab culture dish.
"Fertilisation takes place in this dish. It costs around Rs 70,000 (Rs 25,000 fee and around Rs 45,000 for medicines)," Priyadarshini said, adding IVF helps overcome infertility problems like blocked fallopian tubes or minor sperm problems.
Intercytoplasmic sperm injection is also an in-vitro fertilisation procedure in which a single sperm is injected directly into an egg. The cost is about Rs 10,000 more than IVF.
"We will also offer the facility of embryo freezing in which if more than one embryo is fertilised during IVF, the embryo can be preserved at sub-zero temperature. Preservation cost of an embryo is Rs 6,000 a year," said Priyadarshini.
People suffering from many diseases can also find sperm and egg donors at the clinic.
All necessary preparations, including installation of equipment like inverted microscope, carbon dioxide incubator and stereo zoom incubator, have been made.
The centre will also have the facility of a home where surrogate mothers can stay during their pregnancy.
"Our clinic represents the best of hope and science," Priyadarshini smiled.
