UAE emerging as a medical tourism hub for IVF treatments

Leading clinics in Dubai are pulling in international patients for fertility treatment and family balancing      

The availability of fertility treatment in UAE is attracting a number of medical tourists from Africa, Asia and other parts of the world. Generally seeking IVF treatment for infertility issues, these patients are preferring UAE due to the world-class quality treatment, ease of accessibility and competitive affordability offered by the country.

A strong medical tourism market, coupled with plenty of services, amenities and state-of-the-art services are making Dubai, a primary destination for fertility treatments. In addition to that, there are plenty of clinics in Dubai that offer safer services which otherwise are not available in other countries.

The market difference, however, is availed through ‘the facility to test for overall chromosomal normalcy in embryos’, to detect if there are any genetic diseases running in the family – making Dubai’s IVF services more preferred. In addition, the UAE also allows couples to opt for the gender of their choice as part of ‘Family Balancing’ also known as ‘Gender Selection’ to achieve a balanced representation of both genders in the family.

“IVF is not only sought after locally, but it is one of the leading treatments undertaken by medical tourists in the UAE, especially in Dubai,” stated Mansoor Ahmed, director for healthcare and education for Mena region at Colliers International told Khaleej Times.

With ART clinicians and embryologist, fertility clinics in Dubai ensure premium healthcare services to patients. IVF Lite is another viable option offered by these clinics, involving a soft stimulation protocol. It provides a very efficient and cost effective alternative to the conventional IVF.

Dr Gautam Allahbadia, who heads the ART program of MMC IVF says, “With IVF Lite, we give fertility tablets to the patients instead of injections. All the babies have pre-implantation genetic screening done, and parents are even able to choose the gender of the child.” 

The cycle begins with a charted out regimen of Fertility Inducing Medications. All the confirmatory tests for pregnancy are performed before starting the procedure to avoid complications and offer a risk-free fertility treatment to the patients.  The fertility treatment options in UAE are opening new doors to the couples hoping to experience the happiness of parenthood.

With current developments, the Health Authority in Dubai is aiming to attract 500,000 medical tourists a year by 2020, which probably will make it a medical tourism hub. To achieve this target, a number of hospitals and medical professionals have been involved in the process to offer flawless medical services to the foreign patients. With the availability of IVF treatment and the required expertise, UAE is already emerging as a medical tourist destination for the patients seeking fertility treatment.