LUCKNOW, Jan. 9 -- In vitro fertilisation services (IVF) at Queen Mary's Hospital under King George's Medical University (KGMU) have remained stalled for nearly six months due to the non-availability of a key laboratory medium, affecting childless couples seeking affordable treatment, KGMU sources said. The IVF services were resumed in July 2025 after being partially suspended for several months. However, regular procedures could not continue as the medium used to preserve embryos was earlier procured through local purchase, after which a vertical tender process was followed but did not succeed, according to KGMU spokesperson Prof KK Singh. "The required medium will now be procured through the government e-marketplace (GeM) portal. The university administration is taking steps to resume the IVF facility at the earliest." Prof Singh said a dedicated team is available for IVF procedures. He added that IVF services at government hospitals are crucial for couples from modest backgrounds, as KGMU charges between Rs 35,000 and Rs 40,000, excluding medicines, compared to Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 2 lakh at private centres. Prof Anju Agarwal, head of the obstetrics and gynaecology department, said that initial testing and planning for IVF patients are ongoing and two IVF cases were performed in July. She said official procedures are underway to restart services. She also said a new temperature laboratory CO2 incubator machine, essential for maintaining embryos during IVF procedures, has been procured and installed at the hospital. New IVF cases will be performed using this machine.Prof Agarwal said around 20% of more than 300 women visiting the maternity hospital OPD suffer from fertility-related issues, making IVF an important option. The laboratory medium is a specially formulated liquid solution used to nourish and protect eggs, sperm and developing embryos by replicating conditions of the female reproductive tract. The CO2 incubator machine helps maintain controlled temperature and carbon dioxide levels.htc...