"After years and years, we finally have an artificial insemination law in keeping with the best European practice. This law raises many questions, as there are at least four aspects - medical science, legal science, ethics and sociology," the minister said, adding that he was pleased that a public discussion on the matter had begun.
Asked if the law would state that single women could undergo artificial insemination and if this would refer to women fighting infertility or all single women, Ostojic said, "My position is that it refers to all women but the position of this public discussion is not to impose positions on each other."
Ostojic said the optimal treatment principle allowed the freezing of embryos and that this was much more effective than the existing method.
The choice principle envisages that those who do not want to freeze embryos have other good and successful options, he said, adding that when it came to the health of women and children, the hormone therapy being applied was the latest such therapy and one with the least side effects.
Until now, couples or women were discriminated against, they had to undergo legal and psychological counselling, which has been eliminated to introduce the principle of justice and availability, because they will finally not have to go abroad for this procedure, said Ostojic.
He added that cooperation with nongovernmental organisations was good.
Asked what would happen to frozen embryos after five years, Ostojic said about 1,000 embryos were allegedly frozen in Croatia. He said the bill stated that frozen embryos were kept at the state's expense for five years and at a couple's expense for another five years.
Asked about the age limit of 42 years for six artificial insemination procedures at the state's expense, the minister said the law would allow for this threshold to be flexible for couples, "because biological age is different from chronological age."
Asked what would happen to lesbian couples, Ostojic say, "Gay is okay."
The association Roda (Parents in Action) said the bill was below standard, rushed, drawn up without a public discussion or acknowledging patients' proposals and guidelines of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.
The association said it vehemently protested against the bill and demanded that some provisions which it considers disputable be changed.