TEHRAN – The Ministry of Health has formed a comprehensive network for providing fertility services at three levels all over the country.

For infertility treatment patients go to level-one centers and are referred to levels two and three if they need specialized treatments, deputy health minister Saeed Karimi said.

Previously, there were no level-two centers for infertility treatment services in the country, ISNA quoted Karimi as saying.

“Health minister has announced that 64 level-two infertility treatment centers should be set up in the country by next year. There are currently 16 level-two centers in the country.”

Some 85 percent of infertility cases can be treated in level-two infertility treatment centers, he said, adding that 103 level-three infertility treatment centers are currently active in the country.

About 90 percent of hospitalization costs and 70 percent of outpatient costs for infertility treatment services are covered by insurance, while the services had not been covered by insurance in the past, he concluded.

A total of 5 trillion rials (around $15 million) has been spent on infertility treatment and population youth law in the first six months of the current Iranian calendar year which began on March 21, the deputy head of the Health Insurance Organization has said.

Iran’s universal public health insurance scheme, known as Salamat Health Insurance, covers hospitalization, para-clinical and outpatient services, including doctor’s visits, radiology, lab tests, and medication costs at any public hospital affiliated with the Ministry of Health.

At present, 63 items of special medicine and 28 items of medical supplies that are needed for infertility treatment are covered by insurance companies, ISNA quoted Mehdi Rezaei as saying.

He stated that some 56 government centers, 44 private centers, and about 30 independent and non-independent public centers are contracting parties with Health insurance, which has increased compared to last year.

MG