Around 400 embryos without supervision: Gavrankapetanović-Smailbegović warns of the urgent need for a public clinic

(Patria) - The sudden closure of a private in-vitro fertilization clinic in Sarajevo has caused great shock among couples who stored their embryos at that institution. It is estimated that there are around 400 embryos currently without clear supervision, which has provoked a sharp public reaction and fear among families who have placed their hopes in achieving parenthood.

“All of this is justified because we know what couples go through during the assisted reproduction process itself – psychologically, physically, and financially. Perhaps for some of them, this was their last chance to become parents,” stated Fatima Gavrankapetanović-Smailbegović, a representative of SBiH in the Sarajevo Canton Assembly.

Currently, there is no prescribed procedure in Bosnia and Herzegovina that regulates what happens to biological material when a clinic ceases to operate. This case opens serious legal and ethical questions, and experts warn that it could become a precedent for future laws on reproductive rights in the country.

Gavrankapetanović-Smailbegović also emphasizes the urgent need for reform.

“While respecting all private polyclinics dealing with infertility, this event clearly shows how urgently we need to have at least one public health institution where couples could access assisted reproduction procedures through the regular health system.”

This case has reopened the discussion about the safety and regulation of biological material in BiH and the necessity of adopting legal solutions that would protect the rights and interests of patients in the in-vitro fertilization process.