In a first, Punjab Health Minister Dr Yasmin Rashid announced that a free of cost In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) facility will be offered at Lahore’s Mother and Child Hospital, Ary News reported.

Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to inaugurate the hospital in June 2022.

IVF is beneficial for those couples who cannot conceive naturally or are suffering from fertility issues, such as a low sperm count.

The treatment uses both medicines and surgical procedures to implant an egg in the uterus. The medicine is used to prep eggs in the uterus, which are then harvested and fertilized outside the body. After eggs are fertilized they are placed back on to the uterine lining, where the embryo can attach and grow into a baby.

Although the facility is widely available in Pakistan, it is very expensive and a difficult process to go through psychologically. More often than not multiple sessions need to be undertaken for the pregnancy to take.

With the IVF facility being offered for free, many people who could not conceive before have a fighting chance. Although the world had issued fatwas in favour of IVF since the 1980s, Pakistan's Federal Shariat Court gave the practice an all clear in 2017.