VietNamNet Bridge - The Ministry of Health plans to appoint three hospitals in the North, the Central Region and the South, to perform surrogate services.

The hospitals being considered are the Central Maternity Hospital in Hanoi, the Tu Du Obstetrics Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, and the Hue Central Hospital in Hue City, which have sufficient conditions to perform in-vitro fertilization.

The ministry said that surrogacy is a new, complex and sensitive field in Vietnam. In addition, the demand for surrogacy is not high compared to the demands of in-vitro fertilization, so only three hospitals representing the three regions would be chosen to perform the techniques.

However, the ministry also proposed a second option: allowing all hospitals that are able to offer in-vitro fertilization to provide surrogacy services.

To prepare for the implementation of surrogacy from next year, the ministry is also drafting a decree on in-vitro fertilization and surrogacy to replace the existing regulations. If it is passed, the decree will take effect from January 1, 2015.

According to Deputy Minister Nguyen Viet Tien, about 500-700 couples need surrogacy in Vietnam each year. With such numbers, Vietnam will need a few hospitals performing the related techniques, either state or private.

The cost for surrogacy in Vietnam is $2,000-3,000, compared to about $35,000 in the US.

On June 19 the National Assembly passed the amended Marriage and Family Law, officially allowing surrogacy for humanitarian purposes. The surrogate mothers must be relatives of the couple, and already have children. They can be a surrogate mother only one time.

Le Ha