More than 300 families in Montreal are taking part Saturday in the Walk of Hope for maintaining the publicly funded Quebec in-vitro fertilization program.
The event organized by the OVO Clinic began at 1 p.m. at Place des Arts, where participants marched to Place du Canada. Du Maisonneuve W. Blvd. was closed between Jeanne-Mance and Metcalfe Sts. during the march.
Last November, the Liberal government tabled legislation that would drastically scale back the public funding program for IVF treatments begun four years ago.
In 2010 the provincial government introduced the publicly funded in-vitro fertilization program. The province now spends $67 million a year helping women have children.
Bill 20 would change that, and restrict publicly funded IVF to infertile couples that have tried several other methods, or who, for example, have compromised fertility due to chemotherapy. It would also be limited to women aged 18 to 42 who have passed psychological testing.
Quebec will now give a tax credit according to income. This measure affects both same-sex and opposite-sex couples.
It would also limit the number of times a woman can try IVF from six to one.
“To say that a couple that already has one child should not be allowed to have another child? That's absurd,” said fertility specialist Dr. Karen Buzaglo, on hand for the protest.
Barrette said he expects the number of fertility treatments will be cut in half, saving $48 million, and went on the record saying the program has been treated like “an open bar.”
“The population today, they're divided half and half. Half the population would like to see the program publicly funded fully and half the reverse. So what we are proposing in that bill is something right in between,” he said.
The mother of twin boys conceived through IVF before universal coverage, Karine Joizil took part in Saturday’s march, and said she feels no one should have to dig themselves into debt to have children.
“My first IVF treatment, which was unsuccessful cost us $10,000. The second one, the one which was successful, cost us around $7,000.
Bill 20 could be amended, and must be studied by a parliamentary committee before being adopted as early as the spring.
With files from La Presse Canadienne
