• austriantimes.at
• croatiantimes.com
• salzburgtimes.at
• viennatimes.at
• austrianindependent.com

07. 10. 09. - 16:00

• more General News news...
• RSS Feed General News

07. 10. 09. - 16:00

Protests over ban on paid IVF in Romania

Romanian Times

The infertile parents association today (Weds) blasted a Health Ministry order to ban all in-vitro fertilisations (IVF) for payment.

That order followed the human-egg trafficking scandal at the Sabyc clinic in Bucharest.

Romania’s National Transplant Agency (ANT) today proposed that the Health Ministry amend the order recently issued by former Health Minister Ion Bazac.

An 23 September order by Bazac, who resigned last week, said no clinic could provide IVF procedures in Romania on a payment basis. In Romania, such procedures are not covered by health insurance.

Bazac’s order banned paid in-vitro fertilization and artificial insemination and said that assisted reproduction procedures fell into the category of human-egg trafficking.

The order, published in the Official Journal of Romania on 29 September, annulled an article of the law regulating transplant procedures whereby state-run hospitals and private clinics were allowed to perform paid in-vitro fertilization and artificial insemination.

Failure to observe the new rules will be punished with three to ten years’ imprisonment.

The SOS Infertilitatea association protested in an official letter against the order, saying it would lead to the stopping of procedures at self-financed clinics.

"In Romania, infertile couples, to whom the Romanian state offers no help, have no access to these procedures in clinics where they have to be paid for."

Associations that represent infertile couples say the order does not ban the commercialisation of human eggs – which is already banned by law – but bans making a profit from human reproduction procedures.

"In consequence, medical units that used to do IVF are not motivated any more to continue them for infertile couples even though they are ready to pay. They could no longer see their dream of having a child come true," the letter reads.

Over 6,000 children have been born in Romania through artificial inseminations in the last two years, according to the National Transplant Agency.

Romanian organized crime prosecutors have been investigating members of a network who allegedly brought couples who couldn’t have children to Romania and then got in touch with people who donate human eggs for money.

Almost half of Romanians live in poverty
Almost half of the Romanians (8.89 millions) are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, according to Eurostat data published today (Weds).

Police carry man off the snow and save his life
A man who had collapsed in freezing weather near a river, in Stoina, Gorj, southern Romania, was saved after policemen carried him for several kilometres.

New government with same eight former ministers proposed
The Romanian parliament will vote on the new government team, proposed by designated Mihai-Razvan Ungureanu, tomorrow (Thurs).

Forty-one dead in freezing weather
Another three persons have died due to low temperatures in the last 24 hours, the Romanian Health Ministry said today (Weds).

EC report on Justice is positive, minister says
Romanian Justice Minister Catalin Predoiu currently acting prime minister until the new government is voted in by the parliament, said today (Weds) that the European Commission's interim report on progress in justice is, overall, "positive".

Pink Martini concerts in Bucharest
American orchestra Pink Martini will give a concert in Bucharest on 26 May at the Palace Hall, part of the promotional tour for their latest album "A Retrospective", local organisers Events said today (Weds).

Romania's industrial output up
Romania's industrial output increased by 15.6 per cent in 2011, the National Statistics Institute (INS) said today (Weds).

Father tried for abusing four-year-old girl
A Romanian father was sent to trial for abusing his stepdaughter, aged only 4, prosecutors said today (Weds).

Pitch in best condition for Steaua-Twente match, authorities say
The pitch for the Europa League match Steaua Bucuresti - Twente Enschede will be in optimal condition, the Bucharest town hall promises, after criticism of the National Arena turf.

More Romanian tourists travel to Austria
The number of Romanian tourists to Austria rose last year, after two years of a decline, Austria's National Tourism Office in Romania announced today (Weds).