Abu Dhabi: A draft law allowing the preservation of frozen embryos for fertility treatment has been submitted to the legal committee at the Ministry of Justice and is expected to be submitted to the Cabinet soon for approval, a top official told the Federal National Council on Tuesday.
Abdul Rahman Mohammad Al Owais, Minister of Health and Prevention, told the House that his ministry understood the crucial need for revising rules to allow freezing and storing of human embryos for fertility treatment. “The ministry has already issued a decision allowing the preservation of frozen embryos for fertility treatment and it is crucial to revise laws to allow the procedure,” Al Owais told the House.
Aza Sulaiman, a member from Dubai, demanded a law that allows the preservation of frozen embryos for fertility treatment citing the big numbers of Emirati patients seeking fertility treatment in foreign countries.
Dr Amal Al Qubaisi, Speaker of the FNC, supported the amendment of the law to allow fertilised eggs to be frozen and preserved which could address infertility problems. Emirati patients seeking fertility treatment abroad had raised this issue when she met them during a recent visit to Belgium.
Federal Law No. 11 of 2008 on fertilisation centres now allows the preservation of unfertilised eggs for future pregnancy attempts.
Emergency leaves
Bin Sulaiman also put another question to Al Owais, in his capacity as the head of the Federal Human Resources Authority: Why was emergency leave in case of an employee’s absence eliminated?
“A big number of employees have been affected by the cancellation of emergency leaves, which make it necessary to revise the human resources law to allow granting workers such a leave when needed,” Bin Sulaiman said.
In a letter to the House, Al Owais said the move had been taken to
reduce the difference in working hours and holidays between the public and private sectors as part of a plan to make non-government jobs more accessible to Emiratis.
The move is part of the federal government’s plan and the UAE 2021 plan and especially in terms of creating a diversified knowledge-based economy led by skilled Emiratis.
Bin Sulaiman demanded that the minister must be present in the next session to discuss the issue.
