Independent MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando said yesterday if the IVF legislation had been enacted earlier, it would have eliminated all risks of abuse, leading truly to the end of an anarchic situation which the Prime Minister had described as “a jungle”.
Speaking during the debate on the Embryo Protection Bill in second reading, Dr Pullicino Orlando said the procedure had been practised in Malta for the past 20 years in the private sector, only without any regulation.
It was only because practitioners were responsible enough to act reasonably and with full respect to the couple and child that abuse did not take place.
The lack of such legislation also meant that only those couples who could financially afford it had the possibility to have a child by IVF procedure. Others had to wait for the introduction of this Bill.
Parliament took a long time to legislate and, he said, this was ironic considering the practice could be termed as one of the biggest technological developments of our times and was permissible in the private sector.
Abortion was illegal in Malta, and the legislator always sought to protect the child from conception. He reaffirmed his belief that the child should have full protection.
Dr Pullicino Orlando said he was in agreement with most of the proposals in the Bill but he joined Labour colleagues in condemning the Embryo Protection Authority’s power to decide who should get IVF or not. Such a proposal was substituting the doctor-patient relationship.
Doctors auto-regulated themselves when there was a free for all; so there was no need to interfere now but the state should have more respect for the personal issues of citizens. No couple underwent the IVF procedure capriciously.
Dr Pullicino Orlando took exception to the “pig” branding handed out to all liberal individuals in favour of the Bill by Labour MP Adrian Vassallo during the debate on Monday. Explaining that he understood he was also being labelled as a “pig”, Dr Pullicino Orlando questioned how the conservative MP had now said that children born within marriage, even after divorce, had a more stable environment. This, when during the divorce debate he had spoken so vehemently against it.
Dr Pullicino Orlando said he would not be stooping to Dr Vassallo’s level and insulting him, but would not accept such a label. IVF had been taking place for years. However, he did not accept a medical doctor calling those who were trying to legislate the field “pigs”.
Dr Vassallo had a valid issue regarding whether, in view of the fact that divorce had been introduced, an unmarried couple would be permitted to try IVF. Dr Pullicino Orlando added that he was personally against any form of interference.
“Our work as legislators should always be inspired by the common good, and in this country we have been far too influenced by particular conditions, in some cases with absurd results,” he said.
Pointing out that nobody could imagine the trauma of a couple who could not have children, Dr Pullicino Orlando explained the law was proposing that this couple go before a board of complete strangers to discuss the most personal matters. If the Bill was clear about this, the matter should then be clarified.
Concluding, Dr Pullicino Orlando said not only was this law timely but way overdue.
Five other Nationalist MPs – Frederick Azzopardi, Frans Agius, Michael Gonzi, Peter Micallef and Karl Gouder – also contributed to the debate.