The Athens-based gynaecologist-obstetrician, known for having assisted many Greek Australians become parents, recently made a formal submission to Greece’s Department of Health authority for In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF).
If approved, the proposal would pave the way for the country’s IVF clinics to donate thousands of unused embryos for adoption.
Highlights
- An IVF specialist in Greece is spearheading the initiative of establishing a public embryo bank in the country.
- The aim is to allow for embryos to be kept frozen for longer than the currently allowed decade-long period and offer adoption pathways, following consent from the biological parents.
- Dr Konstantinos Pantos expects an outcome on the proposal, which is under consideration from Greek authorities to lead to the required legislative change and says the initiative is supported by the Greek Church.
Source: Getty Images/warodom changyencham
“My proposal is to create a public bank where all IVF clinics would send the unused embryos for preservation,” he explains, adding that only within his clinic the number of these exceeds 17.000.
Provided the biological parents’ consent, the frozen embryos could then be donated to others trying to conceive, either in Greece or abroad.
“There are many couples seeking to adopt, including from Australia, who have reached out to us,” Dr Pantos notes.
Following deliberations and submissions from relevant authorities and organisations, if approved the proposal will lead to legislative change.
According to Dr Pantos, the initiative is backed by the Greek Church peak body.
“Embryos are not being destroyed this way, basically meaning no life goes to waste. In this way, we also have the support from the church, given that this is their biggest objection when it comes to IVF."
