Thaimai Center

Thaimai Centre Project to Facilitate Motherhood

Co-operative Hospital Society, Moolai

Introduction

Generally, the biggest dream of a couple after getting married is to have at least one child of its own. However, some couples do not achieve success in this aspect due to medical and/or health reasons – the common ones relate to a woman’s reduced ability to ovulate, conceive, or carry a pregnancy to term, as well as a man’s low sperm production. Thus, a female, male or both among a couple could have one or more of the above medical problems. The tensions and uncertainties that most of them had faced during the 25-year civil war would have also exacerbated their predicament.

Appropriate facilities are not available in Northern Province of Sri Lanka that could provide the needed comprehensive treatment and care to overcome the above medical problems, while they are available in some Colombo based hospitals. The combined cost of the needed treatment, stay in Colombo and travels will be beyond the reach of a family in the North having an average income. In addition, they would have to spend a number of weeks away from their kith and kin. Furthermore, most of the affected couples feel ashamed to seek medical help as their adversity would become an open secret and the associated discrimination within the community. Therefore they require privacy during the treatment. Appreciation of these has resulted in the proposed Thaimai Centre Project – to set up a well-equipped facility at Moolai Hospital.

Thaimai Centre Project

A facility to carry out basic investigation is currently functioning at Moolai Co-operative Hospital under the supervision of experienced medical personnel and paramedical staff. The Centre is proposed to be located on the 1^st floor of the OPD building to give privacy to the patients. The selected area will be renovated to establish an operating theatre and laboratory and they will be equipped for the provision varied treatments, including a comprehensive one. The estimated cost of establishing this Centre is summarised below.

The varied treatments covering the field of reproductive medicine (gynaecology) to the childless couples would include the following – the approximate charge rate of each is also given:

(1). In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): a complex /expensive procedure involving female patient fertility drugs, eggs collected from her are fertilised in the lab using partner’s sperm, resulting embryos cultured in the lab and finally inserted back into her uterus in the theatre: cost Rs 700,000; a typical IVF treatment takes about 7 weeks.

(2). Intrauterine Insemination (IUI):- sperms collected from male patient are washed and concentrated and directly placed in the partner’s uterus at the time her egg reaches the uterus: cost Rs 75,000.

(3). Intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI): this procedure in a lab involves injecting a selected sperm of a male into the centre of his partner’s egg because the egg’s outer layer too thick or hard and the sperm cannot penetrate it; this is an additional procedure in support IVF: cost Rs 70,000.

Dr Jey Jeyendran, a professionally well recognised specialist in the US, leads a service that provides the needed laboratory and technical support (Andrology) to a number of gynaecologists there. He has come forward to provide technical and other help to facilitate the setting up of the Thaimai Centre. He will continue to provide regular guidance for the Centre. Please see website www.androlab.com for further info on Dr Jeyendran and the services he provides.

Our intention is to give this service to the following three categories:

(1). Couples who come for their needed treatment with sufficient

(2). Couples who come without sufficient funds and seek to pay in monthly instalments.

(3). A few couples who are below the poverty line for Sri Lanka and request treatment free of charge.

A Steering Committee, comprising persons with medical / accounting capabilities, has been established under the Management Board of the Hospital to maintain an overview of the Centre’s activities. This Committee will vet all applications from couples seeking free treatment or instalment payments for their treatment, though these would be limited to a few couples initially.

A separate bank account is in place for this purpose. Auditing of the accounts and operation of the Centre is being done by the Department of Co-operative Development of the Sri Lankan Government. All the accounts are prepared in a transparent manner and open for perusal by the co-operative society members. The Audited Accounts will be sent to donors and other stakeholders of this project time to time.

Appeal for Funds  :

The Management Board of the Cooperative Hospital at Moolai is appealing to its individual well-wishers among the Tamil Diaspora and from those based in Sri Lanka as well as from charities and organisations based abroad to provide this much needed financial support.