Pre-Implantation Genetic Screening (PGS)

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang

MP for Nee Soon GRC

Question No. 722

To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the average cost for participating in the pilot for Pre-Implantation Genetic Screening (PGS); and (b) whether the Ministry can consider completely subsidising these costs so as to increase the number of patients enrolled under the pilot study.

Answer

          The Ministry of Health provides substantial funding for the Pre-Implantation Genetic Screening (PGS) pilot programme.  It has extended $1.7 mil in funding to support the manpower and operations of the PGS laboratory, and half of the PGS consumables cost.  As a result, participating patients are charged only the remaining costs of the PGS consumables which average about $1,100 per test, as well as the cost of the embryo biopsy to remove cells for PGS testing which ranges from $2,500 to $4,500.  

2          PGS is performed together with in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).  For IVF, patients can receive government support through the Assisted Reproduction Technology co-funding scheme as well as tap on their MediSave.    

3          A total of 367 patients were recruited for the PGS study, more than the targeted 300 patients.  MOH will continue to assess the clinical effectiveness of PGS, including looking at overseas data and collecting more data from cases here in Singapore.  MOH will also explore options for co-sharing of costs of PGS for patients who are keen to be part of the study, but have affordability concerns.  If PGS is included as a mainstream healthcare service, it will then be assessed for means-tested subsidies.