2024年5月8日，新加坡衛生部高級政務部長普立傑醫生代表衛生部長回複議員相關於康盛臍帶血事件政府相關問題的質詢。

以下內容為新加坡眼根據國會英文資料翻譯整理：

臍帶血儲存事件中受影響客戶的支持和商業臍帶血庫責任審查（1）

2娜蒂雅女士詢問衛生部長：在衛生部對康盛人生集團（Cordlife）進行監督，要求其在調查之前糾正缺陷的過程中，是否制定了策略來確保：

（i）Cordlifes與受影響的父母之間進行公開和明確的溝通？

（ii）如果受影響的父母選擇將其臍帶血單位轉移到另一家有科學證據支持的私人臍帶血庫，他們將充分了解其決定的潛在後果？

3蔡慶威先生詢問衛生部長：

（a）該服務合同類型如何，衛生部是否會幫助在Cordlife儲存期間臍帶血單位受損的客戶獲得基線水平的賠償？

（b）如果是，將如何確定這筆補償金額？

（c）若否，原因為何？

4安迪先生詢問衛生部長：

（a）衛生部在Cordlife臍帶血受損事件中採取監管行動的確切範圍和程度是什麼？

（b）在國際專家批評Cordlife宣布的一年時間完成臍帶血樣本的重要檢測後，衛生部將如何進一步干預？

（c）衛生部將如何幫助未受影響的父母將臍帶血單位轉移到另一家服務提供商，以獲得更多保障？

5陳立峰先生詢問衛生部長:

衛生部是否會考慮加強商業臍帶血庫服務提供商的義務，包括當發現這些服務提供商對其護理的臍帶血單位的任何損壞負責，導致這些臍帶血單位不適合幹細胞移植服務時，要求全額退還初始合同費用或其他早期付款。

衛生部高級政務部長普立傑醫生（代表衛生部長）：議長先生，請允許我回答今天議事程序表上的第2至5號問題。

議長先生：請繼續。

普立傑醫生：議長先生，我們理解Cordlife的失誤導致父母們的焦慮和擔憂。臍帶血庫是一項由私營部門提供的選擇性商業服務。客戶在簽約時與服務提供商簽訂了商業合同，而衛生部不是這些合同的一方。政府不能逾越法律。政府的干預是有限度的，尤其是在賠償和退款問題上。

衛生部正在積極開展的工作是在監管和促進方面。衛生部將監督在受影響的儲罐的進一步檢測工作是否妥善完成，以確保檢測結果的高度可信性。考慮到樣本量和現有的檢測能力，這還需要一年的時間。

衛生部還將密切監測Cordlife向其客戶和公眾發布信息的情況，以及在解決已發現的缺陷和進行改進方面取得的進展。其中包括指導Cordlife正確地確認和實施其新的溫度監測系統，重新確認其臍帶血單位的處理方法，並加強員工培訓和更嚴格地監督其運營。

衛生部還與其他準備協助轉移臍帶血單位的提供者進行了討論。有意願的父母可以聯繫Cordlife和接收臍帶血庫，商討轉移安排。儘管如此，鑒於在零度以下的溫度下進行物理轉移的物流複雜性，特別是在無法確定臍帶血是否受到影響的情況下，我們督促父母仔細考慮這樣做的風險。

以下是英文質詢內容：

SUPPORT FOR AFFECTED CUSTOMERS IN CORD BLOOD STORAGE INCIDENT AND REVIEW OF OBLIGATIONS OF COMMERCIAL CORD BLOOD BANKS（1）

2Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdinasked the Minister for Health as the Ministry carries out its supervision priority for Cordlife to rectify their shortcomings pending the investigations, whether there are strategies in place to ensure that (i) there will be open and clear communication between Cordlife and the parents affected and (ii) affected parents are well informed on potential ramifications of their decision to transfer their cord blood units to another private cord blood bank backed by scientific evidence, should they opt to do so.

3Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louisasked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry will assist customers whose cord blood units have been damaged while being stored by Cordlife with receiving a baseline level of compensation regardless of the type of service contract; (b) if so, how will this compensation be determined; and (c) if not, why not.

4Mr Saktiandi Supaatasked the Minister for Health (a) what is the precise scope and extent of the Ministry’s regulatory action in the Cordlife incident involving damaged cord blood units; (b) how will the Ministry further intervene following international experts』 criticism of Cordlife’s announced one-year timeline to complete significant testing of its cord blood samples; and (c) how will the Ministry assist unaffected parents who wish to transfer their cord blood units to another service provider for greater peace of mind.

未完待续,请点击[下一页]继续阅读

5Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fongasked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider strengthening the obligations of commercial cord blood banking service providers to include the requirement of a full refund of the initial contract fees or other earlier payments when these service providers are found to be responsible for any damage to cord blood units under their care, rendering such units unsuitable for stem cell transplant services.

The Senior Minister of State for Health (Dr Janil Puthucheary) (for the Minister for Health): Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to answer Question Nos 2 to 5 on today's Order Paper?

Mr Speaker: Please proceed.

Dr Janil Puthucheary: Sir, we understand the anxiety and concern amongst parents as a result of the lapses at Cordlife Group Limited (Cordlife). Cord blood banking is an elective, commercial service provided by the private sector. Customers entered into a commercial contract with the service providers when they sign up and the Ministry of Health (MOH) is not a party to these contracts. The Government cannot overstep the law. There are limits to which the Government can intervene, especially when it comes to issues of compensation and refunds.

What MOH is actively doing is with respect to regulation and facilitation. The Ministry will be supervising the proper completion of further tests in the affected tanks to achieve a high level of confidence in the findings. Given the sample sizes and the testing capacity available, this will take another year.

MOH will also closely monitor Cordlife's dissemination of information to its customers and the public, as well as progress in addressing the deficiencies identified and in making improvements. These include directing Cordlife to properly validate and implement its new temperature monitoring system, revalidate its processing method for cord blood units and enhance staff training and supervision of its operations more closely.

MOH has also discussed with other providers who are prepared to facilitate transfer of their cord blood units. Parents who wish to do so can contact Cordlife and the receiving cord blood bank to discuss the transfer arrangements. That said, we urge parents to carefully consider the risks of doing so, given the logistical complexity of making a physical transfer at sub-zero temperatures, particularly so when the cord blood is not ascertained to be impacted.

CF丨編輯

HQ丨編審

新加坡國會丨來源

新加坡國會丨圖源