Council on Human Reproductive Technology wraps up its investigation into incident regarding mix-up in embryo biopsy specimens involving "Heal Fertility Limited"
The following is issued on behalf of the Council on Human Reproductive Technology (Council):
Regarding the incident involving a mix-up of embryo biopsy specimens at a licensed human reproductive technology centre in Central, "Heal Fertility Limited" (Heal Fertility), the Investigation Committee under the Council has completed its investigation and submitted a report to the Council. The Council convened a special meeting on September 3 eveningto review the report and discuss matters related to the licence of Heal Fertility.
Having thoroughly considered the report, the Council accepted its conclusion that the main cause of the incident may involve intentional unlawful conduct by an individual. The Council will continue to provide professional support to the Police in their investigation. The Council confirmed that no embryos were mixed up or wrongly implanted into the human body in the incident. Regarding Heal Fertility's sample processing procedures, the Council was of the view that Heal Fertility lacked sufficient protective measures for the handling and storing of embryos and embryo biopsy specimens, and contravened relevant provisions of the Code of Practice on Reproductive Technology and Embryo Research (the Code). The Council has strictly instructed Heal Fertility to strictly adhere to the Human Reproductive Technology Ordinance (Cap. 561) and the Code to prevent any recurrence of similar incidents.
Moreover, the Council noted that Heal Fertility, after identification of the mix-up of the embryo biopsy specimens, did not report the incident to the Department of Health (DH) within the required timeframe. The Council has reminded Heal Fertility that all day procedure centres holding a licence from the Council to provide reproductive technology must strictly comply with the licence conditions set out by the Council, the DH and the relevant Codes, and ensure timely reporting.
The Council noted that Heal Fertility has implemented a number of improvement measures regarding the handling and storage arrangements of embryos and embryo biopsy specimens. However, the Council considered that there is still room for further enhancement in Heal Fertility's overall performance and operational arrangements. Therefore, following yesterday's meeting, the Council has drawn up a set of concrete improvement requirements to urge Heal Fertility to properly implement all measures. The Council will issue a letter to Heal Fertility today (September 4) to notify them of the relevant requirements. The Investigation Committee under the Council will re-inspect the premises, and the Council will make a decision on the licensing matter upon obtaining further information. Until then, Heal Fertility can only continue to provide three services related to the storage of gametes or embryos.
On the other hand, the Council has passed a resolution to commence the review of the Code, key areas include reviewing the incident reporting mechanism and optimising the security and handling procedures of biological samples, with a target completion date of next year. The Council remains fully committed to ensuring that all licensed centres strictly comply with the regulatory requirements of reproductive technology procedures, thereby safeguarding the continuous provision of safe and high-quality services to individuals seeking reproductive technology.
Source: AI-found images
