MADURAI: Amid increasing demand for affordable infertility treatment, only one government facility — the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Government Hospital for Women and Children at Egmore in Chennai — offers the high-cost In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) treatment in Tamil Nadu, compared to 697 private institutions offering the service across districts.
The prohibitive cost of the treatment in private facilities, which runs into lakhs, makes it unaffordable for thousands of patients.
The spatial distribution of these private institutions, too, is skewed in favour of larger cities, making it difficult for people from smaller towns and villages to access them.
A recent UN report revealed that India’s fertility rate has declined to 1.9 births per woman, well below the replacement rate of 2.1. (Replacement rate refers to the fertility rate needed for a population to maintain its current size). Access to infertility treatment plays a crucial role in addressing the issue of falling fertility rates.
‘Total cost per cycle can be below Rs 1 lakh in govt hosp’
According to an RTI reply, as on April 21, 2025, there are 697 private IVF centres across TN — 175 in Chennai, 69 (Coimbatore), 41 (Madurai), 40 (Salem), 32 (Trichy), 30 (Dindigul), 28 (Erode), 23 (Kanniyakumari), 16 (Virudhunagar), 14 (Dharmapuri and others).
“The total cost of treatment at these centres starts at Rs 3 lakh, and this is applicable just for one cycle (first sitting). For a healthy couple (healthy sperm and egg), the treatment would cost Rs 2 lakh, and medicines Rs 1 lakh. In case of any abnormalities, the treatment cost would shoot up to Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2 lakh for medicines,” said a gynaecologist from a private hospital in Madurai.
“However, if these procedures are carried out in government hospitals, the consultation and treatment costs could be lowered drastically. The total cost per cycle could be brought down below Rs 1 lakh. Moreover, if infertility treatment gets covered under the CM’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, it would greatly benefit economically-disadvantaged sectors,” she added.
RTI activist Veronica Mary said, “With costs at private centre running up to lakhs, poor patients are unable to afford it. As a result, we are seeking the opening of such fertility treatment centres at all major government hospitals.”
One patient from Chennai said, “I got married late, at 40 years of age. The first sitting cost Rs 3 lakh at a private centre in Tambaram, but it was a failure. The second one, however, was a success and I gave birth to my son in 2024. At the end, the total cost was Rs 6.5 lakh. Currently, a single sitting costs Rs 4 lakh.”
When asked about the lack of state-run fertility centres in TN, an official said, “Proposals have been submitted to set up fertility centres at all medical college hospitals in the state. However, there are some infrastructure-related issues with setting up such centres at taluk-level hospitals. Even a small IVF setup could cost around Rs 1.5-Rs 2 crore, with most of the money spent on laboratory equipment such as incubators, ultrasound machines and cryopreservation tanks.”