Labour Party President Ramona Attard and PL MP Naomi Cachia today went through the IVF amendments currently being discussed in parliament, stating that the government has kept another promise of presenting the changes within the first 100 days in office.

Attard said that “the Labour Party is the only political liberal force aimed at improving people’s lives and that is why the government sought to amend the IVF laws which were outdated and not giving enough opportunities to people.”

The amendments to the IVF laws being discussed in Parliament concern themselves with adding 4 new cycles for couples who are looking to become parents, adding a cycle to couples who have exhausted their options as per the previous law, widening the age gaps and giving the opportunity for couples who already have a child to start the IVF process for a second child.

Malta, through the amendments, will also be providing pre genetic testing on embryos.

“The amendments reflect the couple’s voices who did not want to speak out publicly. We have the power to change people’s lives for the better, this is our track record and this is Robert Abela’s track record,” Attard said.

Comparing to what the PN had published in their manifest, Attard said that the PN was ready to pay for couples to go abroad for their IVF treatment rather than improving the services provided locally.

Cachia said that “all politicians enter politics in order to make a difference and that is why we are focused on reforming and giving a change for everyone to become a parent.”

“Through the previous IVF laws, hundreds of babies were born but unfortunately many couples had to go abroad to get the IVF treatment the needed. This is not fair as not all couples afford to go abroad and pay for IVF.”

Cachia said that “infertility has no face” and that was the leading motivation for the amendments to be enacted. “We are widening the criteria as much as the science allows us.”