In one of its first of kind set-up in the country, an In-Vitro Fertility (IVF) center inside a government facility was inaugurated at the State-run Gandhi Hospital, Secunderabad on October 8.
This centre, situated on the fifth floor of the recently opened Maternal and Child Health (MCH) facility, is part of a three-center project sanctioned by the Telangana government with a budget of ₹16.5 crore (₹5.5 crore allocated to each center). The remaining two centers are slated for establishment at Petlaburj Maternity Hospital and MGM Hospital Warangal.
The facility will offer all forms of investigations, treatment, hormonal therapy, and follow-ups .
Home Minister Mahmood Ali, who inaugurated the center, revealed that the project, initially scheduled for completion in 150 days (by December 9), was successfully finished in just 87 days, thanks to an efficient workforce.
One of the significant highlights of this IVF center is its provision of free IVF treatments, which typically cost lakhs at private facilities, to all residents of Telangana. Minister Mahmood Ali emphasised that this facility would not only serve the local population but also attract people from neighboring states.
Spanning an area of 4,300 square feet, the IVF center is divided into three zones: the Non-Sterile Zone, Semi-Sterile Zone, and Sterile Zone. The Sterile Zone features two operation theaters, an Embryo Laboratory, and an Andrology Laboratory, all equipped with state-of-the-art instruments such as Trinocular stereo zoom microscopes, ICSI Micromanipulator systems with inverted microscopes, IVF and Andrology workstations with laminar airflow, IVF laser systems, CO2 incubators, and two ultrasound scanning machines.
In the Non-Sterile Zone, there are two counseling rooms with AV recording provision, an ultrasound scan room, and pre/post-operative areas with four beds. The Semi-Sterile Zone is secured with an access control system, while an air shower has been installed at the entrance of the Sterile Zone.
Dr. Raja Rao, the hospital superintendent, highlighted that the IVF operation theater and the Embryology Laboratory are equipped with a 3400 CFM Air Handling Unit (AHU) and two 8.5-ton condensing units, ensuring a continuous supply of high-quality purified air.
