Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will reconsider the policy of not requiring doctors to provide medical certificates to husbands accompanying their wives for in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments at public hospitals.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: Medical certificates (MCs) are issued to patients on medical grounds when they are unwell or unfit for work or school, to allow them to rest and recuperate. In-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments are medically invasive and women are issued MCs for them to take time off work to attend the treatments and get proper rest after. MCs may be issued to husbands if they undergo IVF-related tests or procedures themselves. This position remains unchanged since the last time the answer was provided for the Sitting on 26 February 2021. [Please refer to "Provision of Medical Certificates to Husbands Accompanying Wives for In-vitro Fertilisation Treatments at Public Hospital", Official Report, 26 February 2021, Vol 95, Issue 21, Written Answers to Questions section.]
Doctors may provide memos to the couple certifying that their patient (the wife) has received IVF treatment. Husbands may share the memo with their employers, who may recognise the importance of spousal support by allowing time-off or providing flexible work arrangements.