5 Best IVF Centres for Singaporean Couples

Written by Ying Lee | June 28, 2024

Image: Thomson Fertility Centre

Specialist: There are clinics where the specialist is the one who manages the patient treatment every step of the way. There are also clinics where only the important tasks are taken care of by the specialist, the rest is left in the hands of the team’s healthcare professionals. So, make sure you know who will manage your treatment to ensure that you are provided with continuity of care and the best possible chance to solve your issue.

Location: To many couples, IVF treatment is a hard and long journey to take. It requires couples to travel back and forth between home and the clinic often. So, make sure the fertility clinic you go with is located in a convenient location to save you time and hassle.

STEPS TO EXPECT DURING IVF:

Pituitary suppression: Your natural cycle is suppressed with the use of medication (GnRH agonist/antagonist).
Ovarian stimulation: A fertility hormone (FSH) is injected daily for between 9 to 14 days to encourage the ovaries to produce more eggs than usual.
Egg monitoring: The egg development is monitored via ultrasound to make sure the number and size of the eggs are adequate before aiding their maturation by the final injection.
Egg retrieval and semen collection: Eggs are retrieved by inserting a needle through the vaginal canal. Semen sample needs to be collected on the day of the egg retrieval procedure.
Fertilization: The eggs and the sperm are mixed together in an incubator for a few days to allow them to be fertilized.
Embryo transfer: Embryo transfer occurs two to five days after egg retrieval.
Pregnancy test: Your pregnancy blood test is due about 14 days after the embryo transfer.

HOW ARE THE IVF TREATMENT FEES CALCULATED?
IVF treatment fees often break down into three main types of cost:

Pre-treatment costs: Including the consultation fee for your first appointment with your specialist and the charges for initial tests.
IVF cycle costs: They are the charges for medications, egg retrieval, embryo transfer, laboratory charges, hospital accommodation, anesthetic service, use of operating theatre, nursing fees, and others.
Advanced science costs: Advanced scientific techniques such as PGD may be required, depending on your individual needs.

HOW MUCH ARE THE PRE-TREATMENT COSTS?

Consultation fee: S$150 – S$300
Fertility tests: S$240 – S$440

HOW MUCH DO THE IVF CYCLES COST?

Fertility medication: S$2,500 – S$3,500
Egg monitoring: From S$1000
Egg retrieval: S$3,550 – S$10,000
Sperm collection: From S$1,250
Embryo transfer: S$1,500 – S$5,500

HOW MUCH DOES THE ADVANCED SCIENCE COST?

Laser-assisted hatching: S$150 to S$600
Blastocyst culture: S$150 to S$300
PGD: Can be up to over S$10,000

So, in summary, costs of IVF treatment at public hospitals range between S$10,000 and S$15,000 per cycle while it starts from S$7,999 and can go up to S$20,000 per cycle at private hospitals.

GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY FOR IVF: MOH CO-FUNDING
As long as there is one person in the couple is a Singapore citizen, you can get MOH co-funding when seeking IVF treatment at public hospitals which are:

KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
National University Hospital
Singapore General Hospital

Couple’s citizenship	MOH co-funding (fresh cycles)	MOH co-funding (frozen cycle)
SG citizen + SG citizen	75% (up to $7,700)	75% (up to $2,200)
SG citizen + PR	55% (up to $5,700)	55% (up to $1,600)
SG citizen + Foreigner	35% (up to $3,600)	35% (up to $1,000)

GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY FOR IVF: THE USE OF MEDISAVE
This applies to Singaporean and PR couples, which allows you to use your Medisave to pay for IVF treatment. The maximum amount one can withdraw in a lifetime for this kind of treatment is $15,000.

IVF cycle	Medisave limit
1st	$6,000
2nd	$5,000
3rd & subsequent	$4,000

PROS AND CONS WHEN GETTING IVF TREATMENT AT PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS:

	Pros	Cons
Public hospitals	Lower cost (co-funding)	Longer waiting time for an appointment to see a specialist
Private hospitals	Shorter waiting time for an appointment to see a specialist Customer service is of better quality	Higher cost (No co-funding)

Couples who decide to go to a private hospital for IVF treatment should consider prenatal insurance that covers IVF to keep the cost manageable. Check it out with insurers like AIA, AXA, and Pacific Prime Singapore for those kinds of insurance.

Here are the best fertility clinics in both public and private sectors for your consideration.

1. KKIVF Centre

Image: Joseph Tee

Sector

Public

Located at

KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital

Operation

37 years

Cost guide

S$10,000 - S$15,000 per cycle

Address

100 Bukit Timah Rd, Singapore 229899
Basement 1, Women's Tower

Phone

(65) 6294 4050

Opening hours

Mon to Fri: 08:30 – 17:30
Sat: 08:30 – 13:00

Website

KKIVF

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Being the fertility unit of KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, KK IVF Centre (aka KKIVF) is home to a comprehensive range of diagnostic and treatment procedures for infertility issues. It is widely recognized as the leading infertility centre in not only Singapore but also South-East Asia.

In the last period of ten years, KKIVF performed more than a thousand fresh cycles and hundreds of frozen cycles each year.

ACHIEVEMENTS:

In 1983, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital produced the first IVF baby in Asia.
In 2001, KKIVF achieved the 1st Laser-Assisted Hatching pregnancy in Singapore, which resulted in a live birth in May 2002.

SUCCESS RATE: Below is the clinical pregnancy rate per fresh transfer at KKIVF in 2014

Under 30 years: 56.1%
30 – 35 years: 48.2%
36 – 39 years: 34.2%
40 – 44 years: 13.5%

SPECIALIST TEAM:

Dr. Sadhana Nadarajah: A senior consultant in the Department of Reproductive Medicine in KKH with 18 years of experience in the area.
Dr. Jessie Phoon Wai Leng: An IVF specialist, Director of KKIVF Centre with 10 years of experience in practising IVF.
Prof Jerry Chan Kok Yen: A senior consultant with 10 years of experience in treating infertility.
Adj Asst Prof Khong Chit Chong: A senior consultant with 25 years of experience in obstetrics and gynaecology.
Adj Asst Prof Viardot-Foucault Veronique, Celine: A senior consultant with more than 10 years of experience in the area
Dr. Chua Ka-Hee: A consultant with 7 years of experience in the field
Dr. Liu Shuling: A consultant with 9 years of experience in the field
Asst Prof Sangrithi Mahesh Nataraj: A consultant
Dr. Tan Tse Yeun: A consultant with more than 10 years of experience in the field
Dr. Ee Tat Xin: An associate consultant with 5 years of experience in the field