The Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) fertility clinic, which started operating last October at Mater Dei Hospital, has some 225 cases in hand, with an average of 10 new ones each week.

The preferred bidder out of two for the award of the IVF contract at the hospital has been identified and there have been no contestations by the other bidder, Parliamentary Secretary for Health Chris Fearne said in Parliament on Tuesday.

He was answering a supplementary question by Carmelo Abela (PL).

Dr Fearne added that the contract would take the form of a public-private partnership, and once it was made, the bidder would have 90 days to upgrade the facilities before being granted a licence.

The counselling service in the ART fertility clinic at MDH is being offered by two graduate nurses in the sector, who with other staff have already attended training by the British Infertility Counselling Association.

Any couple availing themselves of the ART clinic, as laid down in the Protection of Embryos Act, must attend counselling before, during and after treatment.

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