MANIPAL: Manipal Assisted Reproduction Centre (MARC) at Kasturba Medical College and Hospital, Manipal signed a memorandum of understanding with Apeksha IVF and Research Center, Sri Lanka for treatment and research and development programmes at Kasturba Hospital on Monday. The MoU will help Sri Lankans with fertility problems as MARC offers a wide range of treatment programmes for sub-fertile couples seeking assisted conception.

Specialists in MARC will train embryologists in Sri Lanka as part of this project. The tie-up will facilitate referral of patients requiring in-vitro-fertilization treatment cycle at Sri Lanka to MARC Manipal. Apart from Sri Lanka, this will also benefit patients from Maldives. Dr Poornima Baliga B, dean, KMC, Manipal University, Manipal who signed the MoU with Sri Lankan IVF team said MARC is committed to providing quality care and solution to the childless couples.

Dr Pratap Kumar, professor and head of MARC, and Dr Satish Kumar Adiga, professor and chief embryologist of MARC, were nominated as key techinical staff from MARC, Manipal who will work jointly with Dr Champa Nelson and Mr Deepal Nelson, Apkesha IVF and Research Center for research and development work in field of IVF. MARC has expert doctors and scientists who have taken specialized training abroad and have been working with subfertility problems.

The pioneering technological improvements make MARC one of the most advanced centres for treatment of infertility in India. It has a fully equipped andrology laboratory for male sub-fertility evaluation and semen banking for short term and long term storage. Embryology laboratory with all modern facilities including micromanipulation and laser hatching is another highlight of the centre that also offers surrogacy facilities also, a MARC communique stated.

- Times of India