The HEALTH : Xtra October 2018 | Page 21

The technical team of LabIVF. An IVF flow chart detailing the usage of specific equipment in an IVF treatment. Xtra 19 The sales team detailing the usage of specific equipment in an IVF treatment. “New equipment are often encouraged to be purchased as they come fitted with newer features and this will allow doctors to produce more accurate results.” In addition, she explained the need for careful light and temperature control as embryos are very sensitive to change in light and temperature as they develop. THE NEED FOR BETTER REGULATIONS “There is also a pivotal need to regulate the entire industry. Different fertility centres often produce different amounts of success rate and this again goes back to the equip- ment used by the centres.” She went on to say that despite some centres offering patients options of longer egg culture period, some of these centres do not possess the necessary equipment to carry out the procedures thus leading to failure of the whole procedures. “The need to better regulate the fertility industry is bigger than ever due to the rising demand and as Malaysia moves into an era of promoting the country’s fertility services overseas, the government needs to update the guidelines that has fallen short of the current practices. Better standards will allow all fertility centres and laboratories to comply accordingly as the current state of the industry is not regulated at all,” she said. She hopes that the growing demand for fertility treatments will increase the exposure for high standard equipment for fertility centres. “Proper access to a good IVF lab can greatly increase chances of success in the fertility treatments and because labs plays an enormous role in these treatments, it should be given equal attention as any other aspect of a potential clinic.”