Quebec fertility clinics brace for surge

Some fertility clinics in Quebec say they're already having trouble meeting demand, days before the province's free fertility treatment program begins.

On Thursday, Quebec will become the first jurisdiction in North America to offer a government-funded program for in vitro fertilization, which can cost up to $7,000.

Once the program takes effect, couples will likely have to wait at least six months for treatment, said Dr. Franois Bissonnette, medical director of the Ovo Clinic in Montreal.

Bissonnette said his clinic has a long waiting list of more than 650 patients and won't be able to accommodate everyone the next day.

The program has been in the works for 18 months. Bissonnette said the provincial government started contacting doctors two months ago, and he still hasn't received his list of approved fees.

Until now, the clinic has performed about 850 treatments per year. Under the new program, it aims to double that number this year, Bissonnette said.

Fertility clinics usually promise a 50 per cent rateof pregnancy with in vitro treatment. Under the program, a woman can receive three tries at the treatment, Bissonnette said.

The government program, which will cost an estimated $80 million in the next three to four years, is the province's latest effort to increase its population by encouraging families to have more children.

Since there are no government guidelines about who should be given priority under the new plan, each clinic will develop its own list, such as women seeking to preserve their fertility before cancer treatment, said Dr. Hananel Holzer of the McGill Reproductive Centre at Montreal's Royal Victoria Hospital.

"Our clinics are full and the phone lines are quite busy," said Holzer.

The plan allows only one egg to be implanted at a time, which should reduce the number of multiple births, Holzer said.

Currently, Quebec offers a 50 per cent tax credit for IVF treatments.

In May, the Manitoba government announced a tax credit that could reimburse prospective parents for about two-thirds of the cost of in vitro fertilization. The province's credit comes into effect Oct. 1.