The city based Pune Fertility Centre (PFC) is all set to provide a common platform called `Fertility Support Group' for the benefit of increasing number of infertile couple. The objective behind this is to spread the awareness amongst people about the reasons and other methods of bearing a child.

Talking to this correspondent, Dr. Bharati Dhorepatil said, "The group would bring together all those couples who have benefited from the fertility centres and the other infertile couples, too, who are not aware of the scientific methods or are very skeptical about such scientific methods. The group would try to spread awareness about the causes of infertility and the stigma attached to such scientific methods." She opined that people are still ashamed of disclosing that they have opted for IVF (Invitro fertilisation) or IUI (Intrauterine insemination) for bearing a child. "And through this group we want to develop the mentality of couples so that they can freely accept such methods and discuss about the same confidently," she stressed.

She further pointed out that the PFC would initially manage the Group but later on the Group would solely be given to the couples who would plan the functioning of the Group. `` We plan to hold quarterly meet and organise various discussion programmes including yoga and spiritual programmes to reduce the mental strain amongst the infertile couples," said Dr. Dhorepatil.

Pune Fertility Centre has recorded a success rate of 42 per cent, she claimed since its inception in the year May 2001. According to her around 20-25 per cent of the couples who have Tumor Nechrozine Factor (TNF) gets satisfactory results through cheaper methods like IUI which costs around Rs. 5000-6000 only. She lamented, "In the present scenario we see the commercialization of the IVF is on the rise as some of the centres are charging exorbitantly for such methods."

In her concluding remarks, she noted that if the quality of the `cool- chain' that is imported from overseas is perfectly maintained then the success rate of IVF could be increased efficiently.