Ovom Care fertility clinic bankruptcy in Portugal

The Ovom Care fertility clinic in Cascais, Portugal, has declared bankruptcy, causing significant disruption for patients, many of whom are British nationals seeking lower-cost treatments. The sudden closure has left patients uncertain about the status of prepaid services and the safety of stored biological materials, such as embryos and gametes.

In response to the insolvency, the AVA Clinic in Lisbon has agreed to transfer cryopreserved biological materials and clinical documentation from the Cascais facility. This move utilizes a contingency protocol originally designed for emergencies like equipment failure. The National Council for Medically Assisted Procreation (CNPMA) reported that some irreversible treatments were already performed at the Lisbon clinic to prevent the loss of patient progress.

Former clinic manager and embryologist Cristina Hickman criticized the closure, stating it occurred without the legally required six-month notice. She raised ethical concerns regarding the protection of patients and their biological assets, noting that the parent company, Ovom Care GmbH, is also facing bankruptcy.