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‘Ninewells’ – fertile couples need not apply
A one stop shop for those who can’t have babies
By Heshan Priyatileke
According to statistics, 10-15% of Sri Lankan couples experience difficulty in conceiving. A recent survey carried out by the Centre for International Health Information estimated that each Sri Lankan family has on average 2.2 children. All too often we come across couples who are childless not through choice but due to some medical problem. There are many possible causes of infertility. About a third of the cases can be attributed to male factors, another third to female factors, and a final third to a combination of factors relating to both partners – or simply to other inexplicable factors. This percentage has been growing over the years and will continue to do so if left unchecked. There are a couple of basic reasons behind this worrying trend.

One is the condition known as ‘’Ovulatory disorders’’, where the female’s egg isn't properly released, or isn't released at all, from the ovaries, with the fallopian tubes being either totally or partially blocked --- therefore slowing or completely preventing the flow of sperm to the egg. Other reasons include the sperm being abnormally shaped, unable to move properly, or being too few in number. Infectious diseases, such as mumps, or an inadequate production of certain sex hormones can also lead to a low sperm count. Another reason is Endometriosis, a condition in which the lining in the uterus, which usually sheds during menstruation, grows outside the uterus. Endometrial lesions can block the fallopian tubes or impair ovulatory function.

The Ninewells Maternity Hospital on Kirimandala Mawatha offers some answers for couples with such fertility problems. Apart from offering services such as In Vitro Fertilization and Testicular Sperm Extraction, the hospital also boasts of an impressive array of other facilities for both mother and baby, including a well-equipped operating theatre and three separate labour rooms, OPD facilities, a small ward -- and for those fathers who prefer to stay away from the delivery room, a cafeteria.

Walking in through the glass doors of the hospital complex gives the impression of being in a hotel lobby. The emphasis is on a quiet, relaxed atmosphere where patients can feel at home, away from home. The majority of the female patients are accompanied by their male companions, and according to Mrs. Haththotuwa, Ninewells emphasises that couples should attend the hospital together. This is to create a feeling of unity between the husband and wife not just during the initial period before the baby arrives, but for years after that.

The husband also gets a chance to understand the wife’s experience from a more clinical point of view, as he is allowed to help his wife even in the labour room, if he so wishes, contrary to the practice in most nursing homes where husbands are kept out.

20 Obstetrics and Gynaecology specialists, 15 anaesthetists and a further 20 paediatricians ensure the level of care and expertise offered to patients.

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