How N700,000 IVF Offers Fresh Hope to Couples at Benue Hospital

For couples battling infertility, the cost of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) can be as daunting as the emotional strain that often comes with the search for a child.

In Abuja and other major cities, assisted reproductive treatment can cost millions of naira. But at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Makurdi, couples can access IVF services for about N700,000, offering a cheaper alternative for those who may otherwise struggle to afford the procedure.

The Chief Medical Director of BSUTH, Dr Terungwa Stephen Hwande, disclosed this on Thursday in Makurdi during the Presidential Media Tour of Projects in Benue State, organised by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors (RHA) in collaboration with the Presidential Media Team.

The IVF centre is part of a wider expansion of specialist healthcare services at the hospital, which Hwande said had received about N20 billion investment from the state government in the last three years.

According to him, the facility offers comprehensive fertility services, including sperm and embryo banking and other assisted reproductive procedures.

“Surprisingly, we also have IVF centre,” Hwande told the visiting media team, noting that the facility was among the few state teaching hospitals in the country offering comprehensive fertility services.

He said the relatively low cost was intended to make treatment accessible to more couples, particularly those who could not afford the much higher fees charged in some private facilities.

“Those of you that stay in Abuja, you know you want to do IVF in Abuja. There’s no way you will not spend close to four, five million. But for this one, it’s so subsidised that you pay only 700,000 and you pick a few drugs,” he said.

The cost difference could make the facility attractive to patients from Abuja and neighbouring states, particularly those living around Nyanya and Mararaba who can travel to Makurdi instead of seeking treatment in the Federal Capital Territory.

But the IVF centre is only one part of the transformation taking place at BSUTH.

Hwande said about N2 billion of the broader investment had been committed to a cancer centre under development at the hospital.

The facility, he explained, would address a major gap in specialised cancer care in the region, noting that Taraba, Kogi and Nasarawa did not have similar centres.

“If this cancer centre is finished, it will serve this area,” he said.

The hospital has also established a specialised therapeutic centre for children with special needs, providing multidisciplinary care for children with autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, blindness and learning disabilities.

The centre brings together paediatricians, cardiologists, psychologists and specially trained teachers to address different needs, including speech, hearing, vision and autism.

BSUTH has also expanded its diagnostic capacity with a modern radiology centre equipped with a CT scanner, fluoroscope and mammography machine.

A molecular laboratory with three PCR machines and an isolation centre has equally strengthened the hospital’s capacity to diagnose and manage infectious diseases, including Lassa fever.

The expansion has been accompanied by efforts to improve the hospital’s workforce and retain skilled personnel.

Hwande said the number of workers had risen from about 800 when the current administration assumed office to approximately 3,000.

He said the increase became necessary as the hospital expanded its specialist services to include areas such as orthopaedics, urology and cardiothoracic surgery.

The state government has also released more than N1 billion to improve salaries and allowances following the movement of some health workers to federal institutions.

Hwande described the situation as a form of “JAPA”, saying some workers were leaving BSUTH for the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, because of salary differences of between N400,000 and N600,000.

Infrastructure supporting the medical services has also received attention, with the hospital developing a waterworks project and upgrading its electricity supply from 11KVA to 33KVA.

Hwande said the improved power and water supply were essential to maintaining hygiene and ensuring that sophisticated medical equipment functioned properly.

The hospital currently has about 400 beds, with additional services provided through satellite and outreach centres.

The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Tersoo Kula, said the governor’s personal experience at BSUTH before taking office influenced the attention given to the facility.

Kula recalled that Alia visited the hospital in 2022 and found it without electricity and in poor sanitary condition.

“The place was stinking, smelling so terribly. The governor stood there. For the first time that I was going around with my boss, he was actually moved to tears,” Kula said.

He said the experience influenced Alia’s decision to seek a medical professional who could drive the transformation of the hospital, leading to Hwande’s appointment as CMD.

For couples who have struggled with the financial burden of fertility treatment, the IVF centre represents one of the most visible outcomes of the hospital’s expansion.

With the procedure available at about N700,000, BSUTH is seeking to make assisted reproduction more accessible while building a wider range of specialist services around it.

The development, however, remains a work in progress, with the hospital continuing to expand its facilities, equipment and workforce to meet the growing demand for specialised healthcare.