Rita Panahi: IVF debacle like playground ban all over again

The Andrews government’s backflip on the cancellation of IVF treatments illustrates that Covid-induced lunacy will only come to an end when we demand it does.

Not for the first time the Dan Andrews government has performed a spectacular backflip that proves political considerations, not “the best available health advice”, are determining Covid policies.

The latest about-face came after sustained criticism of the unnecessary and cruel cancellation of IVF treatment.

The backflip illustrates that Covid-induced lunacy will only come to an end when we demand it does. As long as we obediently, unquestioningly follow restrictions, no matter how ineffective and harebrained, they’ll keep imposing them.

Remember the ban on playgrounds and skate parks or the outdoor mask mandates or the curfew?

Just some of the illogical, non-evidenced based measures imposed on Victorians.

The playground ban was reversed due solely to the public backlash and noncompliance of parents. Indeed, the day the ban was lifted the state recorded significantly higher numbers than when it was imposed.

The government’s latest ban on IVF left thousands of Victorian women distraught with some at risk of being deprived of their final chance at motherhood.

Daniel Andrews introduced the unnecessary and cruel cancellation of IVF treatment. Picture: David Crosling

There are strict age limits for IVF and for women such as Melanie Swieconek, 45, a three-month pause could have heartbreaking, lifelong consequences. Ms Swieconek’s viral video brought home the cruelty of the ill-considered health directive. She made it clear that for the one in eight Australian women who have fertility issues IVF is not a choice and politicians should not be allowed to deprive women of the opportunity to become mothers.

“This is something we’re doing as our only opportunity to have a child,” she said. “We think Covid is a pandemic? I am telling you, infertility is a pandemic and now we are dealing with both.”

After several days of refusing to reverse the 90-day ban, the Victorian government finally relented on Thursday morning.

“Decisions were made based on advice ... I’m very pleased that the public health team, chief health officer, has reviewed his advice and the minister has accepted that,” Premier Andrews said. “The orders will be effective immediately and that is a very good outcome, I apologise for any distress or any concern.”

But the question remains how was this daft decision made in the first place when it was clear that it would do nothing to relieve pressure on the hospital system and would only devastate thousands of women, some who are undergoing their final round of infertility treatment.

IVF patient Melanie Swieconek is now smiling after the state government overturned the decision. Picture: Ian Currie

Those working in the sector had explained that the specialist nature of their workforce meant doctors and nurses could not be redeployed elsewhere and the facilities and equipment used would not interfere with the pandemic response.

Leading fertility specialist Dr Lynn Burmeister was left aghast by the latest ban.

“We’ve actually been stopped and started five times ... we don’t use the resources that are needed for Covid patients, we use one needle, the patients are not intubated, it takes me 15 to 20 minutes to collect eggs, the patients go home within two hours of the procedure, they don’t get admitted to the hospital,” she told me on Sky News.

“It makes no logical sense. The staff are not being deployed to work in public hospitals, my fertility nurses can’t work in a ward with Covid patients, they wouldn’t know what to do, they are specialised fertility nurses.”

In the end this was a victory for common sense and compassion but we should not forget about all those suffering needlessly waiting for elective surgery to be resumed.

Our hospital system would not be under stress if Premier Andrews had delivered on his promise of 4000 additional ICU beds. That promise made on April 1, 2020, appears to have been memory holed despite the premier’s own department releasing a statement vowing to “to quickly establish an extra 4000 ICU beds” and to “secure the ICU equipment, staff and space we need to meet the expected surge in case load at the peak of the pandemic.”

Premier Andrews has not only been running this state since 2014 but he was also the health minister in the Brumby government. He has no one to blame but himself if the state’s health system cannot cope with a surge in demand.