Ombudsman says rights breached over unavailability of artificial insemination

Budapest, March 9 (MTI) – The ombudsman for fundamental rights has said the rights of infertile couples and single women seeking to have a child have been breached due to the unavailability of artificial insemination via a sperm donor.

László Székely compiled a report after receiving complaints that Krio, Hungary’ largest stem-cell and reproductive centre, had been forced to close down its sperm bank earlier this year, his office said in a statement on Wednesday.

Hungary’s health authority (ANTSZ) launched proceedings last June against Krio, which had imported sperm from a Danish sperm bank since 2013. The authorities said the imports do not comply with Hungarian law.

The chief medical officer’s office (OTH) then ruled that Krio was banned from handling all sperm donations, whether from abroad or from within the country.

The complaints submitted claimed that the centre had failed to provide prospective clients appropriate information on the suspension of the procedure, while people already undergoing the procedure suffered a disadvantage due to its suspension both physical and financial, the ombudsman said.

Székely said in the report that the OTH had neglected its duties by failing to ensure a temporary solution for clients undergoing artificial insemination.

Infertility has become a common problem in Hungary, Székely said, noting that it affects 15 percent of couples of reproductive age.

The ombudsman asked the human resources minister to institute measures to create the appropriate conditions for artificial insemination and issue related regulations by Dec. 31.

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters