CARMI - Center for Advanced Reproductive Medicine and Infertility

Wow! It's the last day of April already and tomorrow will be May which means exactly a week from now I will have a consultation with my OB again.

Yesterday Hubby had the time to do the test before my next checkup. It was a relief on my part because this test is long overdue. Amidst the hot temperature, we brave ourselves to travel from Cavite to The Fort. It's a relief that there are shuttle/vans near our residence that travels along SLEX then C-5 then Ortigas. Those shuttle will drop you off to Market Market. After the drop off, we walk our way to St. Luke's Medical Center Global City. Looking back, we should've taken a cab from the mall going to the hospital.

You're probably wondering why we have to go to St. Luke's when there are other hospitals within Cavite/ Alabang/Las Pinas. Well, my OB highly recommends to do the test in CARMI (Center for Advanced Reproductive Medicine and Infertility) as she is after the results that are more accurate and detailed.

Anyways, upon entering the Medical Arts Building in SLGMC we went straight to CARMI . It's located near the Pharmacy which is after the elevator lobby on the ground floor.

Once you see the Pharmacy, turn left and you will see this hall going to CARMI

CARMI Center

I'm sure you're wondering what is CARMI, here's the description about them that I got from their website:

CARMI (Center for Advanced Reproductive Medicine and Infertility) offers fully integrated, comprehensive fertility services. CARMI has opened its doors as the newest fertility center in the country, but promises to exceed all expectations because of its:

• State-of-the-art diagnostic, medical, and surgical equipment many of which are not available in the other local fertility centers;
• Progressive team of medical experts among whom have the highest documented pregnancy rates per transfer locally which are at par with those abroad;
• Being the only hospital-based ART (Assisted Reproductive Technologies) facility in the country, assuring maximum patient safety and convenience with easy access to other clinical specialties on demand;
• Compassionate, fully Filipino clinical, scientific, and support staff who provide personalized, individualized care;
• Affordable rates which are the lowest in the country, significantly lower than those in Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the US; and very comparable with the rates in Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

CARMI has physicians board certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI) or in the related specialties related to infertility treatment. In addition to years of clinical experience in helping thousands of patients to conceive, many of our physicians are faculty members at some of the country’s leading medical schools. Our REI specialists are supported by experts from the related specialties (urology, genetics, immunology, acupuncture, psychology) who provide the required services on demand. Our staff members have committed to help each patient and have pledged to work diligently towards achieving every patient’s dream of having a baby.

My OB which is Dra. Angela Aguilar is one of the physicians that specializes in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility.

Reception Area

Upon entering CARMI, on your left is the reception area where you need to sign a form with your personal details. Before hubby signed a form, we presented first the prescription of my OB for the test/analysis. After signing up the form, you will pay for the test. Semen Analysis test costs Php 1,234.80. We were surprise of the figure but it's worth it since you will get the result after 2-3 hours. At least our time will not be wasted.

Office Hours and Physician's Schedules

This is the tricky part should you decide to visit their office since they are only open Mon-Fri from 8am to 4pm but you need to be there before 2pm since they have a cut-off. This is the very reason why it took awhile for me and hubby to do the test because of their schedule. Coincidentally, the past few months were hectic with my husband's work making it difficult for him to take a leave until yesterday.

Waiting Area

The waiting area is very comfortable. There are two couches with a center table that holds various magazines  and newspaper which you can read while waiting. Plus, they do have a cabled LCD TV to entertain patients and visitors. There's also a water dispenser for your bottomless supply of H2O.

Intimate Room

If Christian Grey has Pain Room, CARMI has the Intimate Room! Well, I just created the name for that room but the right door on the photo above with a hand sanitizer dispenser on the wall is where they will get the semen sample. As my husband described it, the couches inside are colored red and there's a television which they will play a movie to help you get the sample. I don't need to elaborate since this is a wholesome blog but I'm pretty sure you get the picture.

There you go, a sneak peek of St. Luke's Medical Center's CARMI. I was hesitant at first if I have to blog about this but then again, I'm sharing a useful info for those couples who are having a hard time conceiving like us. Before, we don't have this kind of facility in the Philippines but now that it is here, we might as well share it and spread the word.



Center for Advanced Reproductive Medicine and Infertility (CARMI)
St. Luke's Medical Center - Global City
Ground Floor, Medical Arts Building
St. Luke's Medical Center-Global City
32nd St. Bonifacio Global City
Taguig City, Metro Manila 1112 Philippines
Telephone No. (632) 789-7700 ext. 2111
E-mail Address: inquiries@stlukescarmi.com
www.facebook.com/stlukescarmi