Indore May Get Government IVF Centre At MTH Hospital As ₹11 Crore Equipment Proposal Awaits Final Approval, Treatment Could Cost Just ₹50,000

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): In what could bring major relief to childless couples across the Malwa-Nimar region, Indore may soon get a government-run in vitro fertilisation (IVF) centre at Maharaja Tukojirao Holkar (MTH) Hospital.

A proposal for equipment worth around Rs 11 crore has been sent to the higher authorities and has received a positive response, hospital officials said. The project is now awaiting final approval.

Madhya Pradesh recently got its first government IVF centre at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhopal. Similar facilities are also being run at two government institutions in Raipur and Delhi.

The proposal to start a government IVF centre in Indore dates back nearly eight years. It was initially planned at Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital (MYH). However, after the obstetrics and gynaecology department was shifted from MYH to MTH Hospital, the proposed centre is now expected to come up at MTH.

The patient load at MTH has also increased substantially. When the gynaecology department functioned at MYH, the hospital recorded around 1,100 deliveries a month. MTH now handles more than 1,500 deliveries every month, with a large number of women visiting the hospital for treatment.

Canteen building identified for centre

The hospital administration has identified the canteen building opposite MTH for the proposed facility. The plan is to redevelop the site to accommodate the IVF centre, a dedicated outpatient department and parking space.

Officials said the main MTH building already witnesses heavy patient footfall in the obstetrics and gynaecology department. The administration, therefore, wants IVF patients to be treated in a separate building.

Officials in Bhopal had also suggested that the hospital procure the IVF equipment and temporarily start the centre on the fifth floor of MTH.

The hospital management, however, prefers a separate facility. A final decision on the use of the canteen building is still pending.

Patients currently referred to private centres

At present, women requiring IVF treatment are examined at the government hospital and referred to private IVF centres. Their treatment costs are covered in some cases under the Ayushman Bharat scheme or through other government funds. However, the number of beneficiaries remains limited.

According to health department data, around 10,000 couples in Madhya Pradesh visit private IVF centres every year.

A single IVF cycle at a private centre costs between Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 3 lakh, and some patients may require three to four cycles. The same treatment at a government hospital could cost around Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000.

MTH Hospital manager Dharmendra Jat said the proposal had been sent to the Directorate of Medical Education (DME). Equipment worth about Rs 11 crore could be sanctioned for the centre, he said, adding that final approval was awaited.

Once the proposal for the canteen building is cleared, the IVF centre is planned to be developed there.