KUALA LUMPUR, April 9 — The government is prepared to consider providing tax exemption for married couples on in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

He said the government understands the ordeal which the couples have to go through and the cost of the treatment.

"It is a good proposal. Perhaps, I can bring this agenda up for consideration,” he said during the Ministers’ Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Ismail Mohamed Said (BN-Kuala Krau) on the matter.

To an original question from Wong Kah Woh (PH-Ipoh Timur) on the cost of IVF treatment government hospitals, Dzulkefly said the cost of the treatment for every IVF cycle or  intracytoplasmic sperm injection is between RM4,500 and RM5,000.

The amount, he said, did not include medication.

He said a total of 976 patients had gone for IVF treatment at four government hospitals last year, with 198 of them becoming pregnant. — Bernama