Private Fertility Clinics In Pune A Safer Option For IVF Couples
Good news! Fertility clinics have opened up being considered as essential services. In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged governments across the globe “to treat women’s reproductive health as an essential healthcare service.” Subsequently, in May 2020, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) set guidelines for IVF clinics to re-commence services during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Amid the pandemic, couples seeking assisted reproductive technology (ART) services have two options. They can either register for ART in:
- A multispecialty hospital, or
- A private IVF clinic that is fully equipped
If you’re wondering which option to choose, this article will provide important information for you to consider before making a choice. In pandemic times there is much to consider so let’s get started …
Multispecialty hospitals could be hotspots of disease spread
Early last year, state governments sent directives to private hospitals including multispecialty healthcare systems to not turn away patients with Covid-19 symptoms, but instead to create isolation wards for them. Initially, private hospitals had to commit 50% of their bed occupancy to Covid patients but with the number of infections rising, Covid bed occupancy in multispecialty hospitals has risen. Hospitals becoming the node of coronavirus infections is not unheard of.
In contrast, a private IVF clinic caters only to infertility patients, and strictly does not take in any patients with known or suspected Covid infection. ICMR guidelines are being strictly maintained in such clinics. The medical and administrative staff as well as incoming patients are routinely screened. The chances of catching Covid-19 in such clinics are next to nil.
Level of care
The bigger environment in a multispecialty hospital can make couples feel that they’re just a number in the system. Large hospitals may even outsource part of the treatment cycle to another unit. At each appointment, you may see different doctors, different faces since the staff and nurses work on rotational shifts. Often such a “sterile” approach to IVF patients may hamper the success of the treatment.
In contrast, the quiet, more intimate environment of a private IVF clinic is able to make couples feel valued and respected. With a small team, private IVF clinics create a homelier, less impersonal environment that is extremely reassuring for couples. You’ll see familiar faces each time you come for your appointment. Each staff member is devoted, friendly, and dedicated to seeing you succeed in the journey toward becoming a parent.
Waiting lists and scheduling appointments
Waiting rooms at multispecialty hospitals can be especially trying for couples, particularly during pandemic times. The hospital may give you a date and a “time” when the doctor is in. When you arrive, there is usually a token system and you will need to wait your turn.
In contrast, there is no waiting time at a private IVF clinic. Being a smaller setup, once your appointment has been set, we are ready for you when you arrive. In times of the pandemic, a private IVF clinic may provide more safety, as we sanitize all rooms, including waiting room, consultation rooms, scan room etc. between appointments along with the usual temperature checks and hand sanitization of each person who enters. At Xenith we sanitize the entire clinic at the end of the day, each day!
The need for counsellors
We understand that IVF treatment can be an emotionally challenging experience for some couples. In a large hospital, because of the impersonal setting, the emotional journey of the patient may be missed out. If your doctor does recommend counselling, this will mean more scheduling for counselling sessions and possibly more waiting in waiting rooms.
In contrast, a private IVF clinic offers a more personal setting. Doctors have more time to spend with patients and explain the different changes that a woman may encounter as she goes through the IVF process. Both husband and wife are usually called to a counselling session so both can be supportive of each other in the journey they are taking together. In addition, counsellors are available within the private clinic and appointments can be coordinated as per patient convenience.
Of course, there are multispecialty hospitals where you will find excellent IVF guidance and treatment, but during a pandemic, weigh the options and risks.
Visit our private IVF clinic to know more
At Xenith, we maintain ICMR guidelines above and beyond the normal standards to make sure that all those working in our clinic and all patients are not at risk of catching Covid019. The IVF journey is sometimes a long one and Covid-19 has added another layer of stress. At Xenith Advanced Fertility Clinic, a private IVF clinic in Wakad-PCMC, we have a team of doctors with highly qualified reproductive endocrinologists, andrologists, specialists in reproductive medicine, ultrasonographers, and counsellors. We follow the strictest protocols to keep you safe. If you have any questions, we would be happy to answer any questions.
