The Minister of Health does not favour embryo freezing, and rather than this method, he thinks that Malta could adopt a treatment used in Greece and Australia called oocyte vitrification. That involves the the freezing of oocytes (premature eggs) from women before fertilisation, a spokesman for Health Minister Joseph Cassar has said.
“In this way, you’re not going into the ethical side of having created life and disposing of it,” the spokesman added.
Dr Cassar was contacted for his comments on embryo freezing and the investigation launched after the death of two premature babies in hospital following an infection.
The spokesman said that Dr Cassar was against embryo freezing.
Three MPs held a press conference at Mater Dei Hospital on Saturday reiterating that IVF regulation could decrease child mortality, overcrowding and infection.
The MPs, members of a parliamentary committee which drew up proposals IVF and called for embryo freezing, are Nationalists Jean-Pierre Farrugia and Frans Agius and Labour MP Michael Farrugia.
On the infection which is thought to have caused the death of two babies, the spokesman said the infection had been controlled.
“The infection was controlled immediately. It is not spreading. An investigation is going on but, although the main blame seems to have been placed on the hospital for not having enough beds, that may not be the only reason,” the spokesman said, adding deaths were not rare with very premature multiple births and not all deaths were definitely caused by an infection.
The inquiry also aims to establish whether the infection was acquired from hospital or brought in by a mother.
Meanwhile, the Malta Union of Midwives and Nurses Union said today that it may have to order industrial action if the situation in the Maternity Department did not improve.
Union officials told a press conference today that their calls for better planning of induced deliveries and caesarean operations had not brought the desired effect.
They complained that the high rate of induced and caesarean births were leading to ward overcrowding since mothers were having to stay in hospital for more days than they would have had birth been allowed to proceed in a natural manner.