Travel for fertility services costly for would-be P.E.I. mothers
IVF treatment further complicated by increased need for travel
P.E.I. has been without a fertility specialist for about seven months, and an Island woman is calling on the government to recruit a new doctor in the field.
Rhonda-Lee Hakkers told CBC News Thursday travelling to other provinces to see a fertility expert is stressful and costly.
A lot of emotional stress goes into that.- Rhonda-Lee Hakkers
"I feel like there's many women like me that feel hopeless," she said.
Hakkers had a son two years ago with the help of in vitro fertilization and she’s trying to have another child, but it is a process made much more difficult with no fertility specialist on the Island.
Women have always had to travel off-Island for the IVF procedure itself, but when there was a fertility specialist in the province women were able to get related blood work and ultrasounds done on P.E.I. These are required every day or every second day leading up to and following the procedure. Without a specialist on P.E.I., these have to be done in Moncton or Halifax.
"A lot of emotional stress goes into that, so if any part of it can be helped here in the province it would be greatly appreciated," said Hakkers.
The provincial government says it is working on recruiting two new OB/GYN specialists to help Island women with tests and ultrasounds related to IVF treatment. The province is also exploring other ways to offer this support on P.E.I.