Ovom Care fertility clinic declares insolvency in Cascais

The fertility clinic Ovom Care, located in Cascais, Portugal, has been declared insolvent following a sudden closure. The insolvency, decreed on August 25, follows the bankruptcy of its German parent company, Ovomcare, on August 20. The clinic's total debt exceeds one million euros, while its liquid assets are reported to be nearly zero, with only approximately 12,000 euros held in bank and cash accounts.

Patients, many of whom are British nationals, face significant financial and emotional distress. There are 72 credit claims from patients totaling 332,747 euros. Some patients are seeking compensation for the cost of continuing treatments at other clinics and for non-material damages, totaling 143,000 euros. However, the insolvency administrator noted that privileged creditors, including 12 employees owed over 134,000 euros, will likely be prioritized, leaving little for patients.

Concerns regarding potential fraud have emerged. Patients report that gametes they paid to have stored may never have arrived at the clinic because Ovom Care failed to pay the original suppliers. Additionally, some patients underwent egg retrieval on the very day the clinic closed, leaving the status of their biological material uncertain as it had not yet been transferred to a secure private facility.