2024年5月8日，新加坡卫生部高级政务部长普立杰医生代表卫生部长回复碧山-大巴窑集选区议员安迪先生和盛港集选区议员蔡庆威先生关于康盛脐带血转移和储存相关问题的质询。

 

以下内容为新加坡眼根据国会英文资料翻译整理：

脐带血储存事件中受影响客户的支持和商业脐带血库责任审查（4）议长先生：我可否提醒各位议员，你的补充质询应简明扼要？有请安迪先生。 安迪先生（碧山–大巴窑集选区议员）：议长先生，我有一个非常简明扼要的补充问题。我想请高级政务部长澄清，其他脐带血库是否愿意接受康盛人生集团的脐带血单位，正如高级政务部长所分享的那样，以及它们是否有能力接受这些单位？我想了解更多细节，因为高级政务部长提到有一些关于他们如何寻求帮助的指导方针？

 

普立杰先生：议长先生，我感谢安迪先生的提问。我怀疑议长关于发言的简洁提示也针对我。很抱歉。

 

议长先生，新加坡脐带血库（SCBB）、Stemcord Private Limited和Cryoviva Singapore已表示有能力并愿意接受从Cordlife转移的脐带血单位。然而，每个脐带血库都表示，在接受Cordlife的脐带血单位之前，必须满足特定条件。

 

因为不同机构存在一些差异，父母和客户将不得不直接与接收脐带血库合作，以实现转移。卫生部将在我们力所能及的范围内，努力促进相关联系和流程。

 

不过，我想借此机会指出几点。三个脐带血库都有便利脐带血单位转移的程序，但它们只接受被证明仍然存活的脐带血单位，而接受的脐带血库不太可能保证从Cordlife转移的脐带血单元仍然存活。因此，客户和家长在选择转移时会面临一些风险，而且需要一些时间。这不是一个轻率的决定。

 

议长先生：有请蔡庆威先生。

 

蔡庆威先生（盛港集选区议员）：谢谢议长。我只想向高级政务部长提出一个补充问题。我注意到，在Cordlife昨天的新闻稿中，他们提到，剩下的五个储血罐被认为是所谓的“低风险”储血罐。在高级政务部长提到的为期一年的测试中，是否涉及对Cordlife储存的所有不同储血罐和脐带血单元进行全面测试，同时在操作过程中，向家长保证剩余脐带血装置受到影响的风险确实很低，并通过对Cordllife的保证进行独立的第三方审计，使人们对未来任何潜在的失误有更大的信心？

 

普立杰先生：议长先生，我的答复肯定简短。整个审计过程的目的是使人们对审计结果有高度的信心，确保Cordlife自己能够证明他们正在做正确的事情，并朝着正确的方向改进保护措施，并增强对整个行业的信心。这就是我做的简短答复。

 

他对新闻中提到的“五个储血罐”的具体问题。我没有关于这五个储血罐在我们的总体评估和一年时间表中的确切信息。如果他愿意，我可以单独跟进。

以下是英文质询内容：

SUPPORT FOR AFFECTED CUSTOMERS IN CORD BLOOD STORAGE INCIDENT AND REVIEW OF OBLIGATIONS OF COMMERCIAL CORD BLOOD BANKS（4）

 

Mr Speaker: Can I remind Members to keep your supplementary questions succinct? Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mr Speaker, I have a very succinct supplementary question. May I seek clarification with the Senior Minister of State whether other cord blood banks are willing to accept the cord blood units, as the Senior Minister of State shared earlier, and whether they have the capacity to accept them? May I ask for more details because the Senior Minister of State mentioned that there were some guidelines about how they can go about the process to seek help as well?

Dr Janil Puthucheary: Speaker, I thank Mr Saktiandi for the question. I suspect Speaker’s direction was also targeted to me. My apologies.

Sir, Singapore Cord Blood Bank (SCBB), Stemcord Private Limited and Cryoviva Singapore have indicated their ability and willingness to accept cord blood units transferred from Cordlife. However, each of the cord blood banks has indicated that specific conditions must be met prior to accepting the cord blood units from Cordlife.

So, there is some variance and the parents, the customers will have to work directly with the receiving cord blood banks to operationalise the transfer. MOH will try to facilitate the connections and processes, where it is within our power to do so.

However, I would want to take this opportunity to point out a couple of points. All of the three cord blood banks have processes in place to facilitate the transfer of the cord blood units, but they will only accept cord blood units that are demonstrated to be still viable and the receiving cord blood banks are unlikely able to guarantee the viability of cord blood units that are then transferred from Cordlife. So, there is some risk to the customer, the parents associated with making the choice for this transfer and it will also take some time. It is not a small decision to be taken lightly.

Mr Speaker: Mr Louis Chua.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang): Thank you, Speaker. Just one supplementary question for the Senior Minister of State. I note in the press release by Cordlife yesterday that they mentioned the remaining five tanks are deemed to be so-called “low risk” in terms of the viability of the cord blood units there. In the testing that the Senior Minister of State mentioned, this one-year period, does it involve comprehensive testing of all the various tanks and units that are stored within Cordlife, and at the same time, also in the operational processes, to give parents the assurance that there is indeed a low risk of the remaining cord blood units being affected and so that there is greater confidence as to any potential future lapses by having this independent third-party audit of Cordlife’s assurances?

Dr Janil Puthucheary: Sir, the short answer is yes. The entire process is designed to provide a high level of confidence in the findings, to make sure that Cordlife themselves can demonstrate that they are doing the right thing and moving in the right direction to improve protections, and for confidence in the industry as a whole to be shored up. So, the short answer is yes.

He had a specific question on the five tanks that were in the report. I do not have the information about exactly where those five tanks are in our overall assessment and the one-year timeline. If he would like to, I can follow up with him separately on this.

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