Fertility treatment success rates to be revealed

Information about each hospital's success rate for fertility treatment will be revealed to the public from September. / Yonhap

By Jung Min-ho

The demand for fertility treatment has increased in recent years as more women delay having children. But finding a good hospital for the treatment has been difficult because hospitals keep their success rate secret.

This will change when a new enforcement ordinance comes into force in six months requiring all medical institutions to disclose such data to the public, according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare Monday.

The ministry said the policy aimed to guarantee people's right to know and to hold hospitals more accountable for their services.

As part of an effort to boost the country's low birthrate, the ministry poured more than 821 billion won ($766 million) into supporting women with fertility problems between 2006 and 2017.

Nevertheless, the fertility treatment success rates among the participating hospitals have improved little.

On average, according to the ministry, the success rate was 29.5 percent in 2016, up from 28.1 percent in 2012. Many hospitals had failed totally.