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议员相关于康盛脐带血事件政府相关问题的质询。

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（1）

2 娜蒂雅女士询问卫生部长：在卫生部对康盛人生集团（Cordlife）进行监督，要求其在调查之前纠正缺陷的过程中，是否制定了策略来确保：

（i）Cordlifes与受影响的父母之间进行公开和明确的沟通？

（ii）如果受影响的父母选择将其脐带血单位转移到另一家有科学证据支持的私人脐带血库，他们将充分了解其决定的潜在后果？

3 蔡庆威先生询问卫生部长：

（a）该服务合同类型如何，卫生部是否会帮助在Cordlife储存期间脐带血单位受损的客户获得基线水平的赔偿？

（b）如果是，将如何确定这笔补偿金额？

（c）若否，原因为何？

4 安迪先生询问卫生部长：

（a）卫生部在Cordlife脐带血受损事件中采取监管行动的确切范围和程度是什么？

（b）在国际专家批评Cordlife宣布的一年时间完成脐带血样本的重要检测后，卫生部将如何进一步干预？

（c）卫生部将如何帮助未受影响的父母将脐带血单位转移到另一家服务提供商，以获得更多保障？

5 陈立峰先生询问卫生部长:

卫生部是否会考虑加强商业脐带血库服务提供商的义务，包括当发现这些服务提供商对其护理的脐带血单位的任何损坏负责，导致这些脐带血单位不适合干细胞移植服务时，要求全额退还初始合同费用或其他早期付款。

卫生部高级政务部长普立杰医生（代表卫生部长）：议长先生，请允许我回答今天议事程序表上的第2至5号问题。

议长先生：请继续。

普立杰医生：议长先生，我们理解Cordlife的失误导致父母们的焦虑和担忧。脐带血库是一项由私营部门提供的选择性商业服务。客户在签约时与服务提供商签订了商业合同，而卫生部不是这些合同的一方。政府不能逾越法律。政府的干预是有限度的，尤其是在赔偿和退款问题上。

卫生部正在积极开展的工作是在监管和促进方面。卫生部将监督在受影响的储罐的进一步检测工作是否妥善完成，以确保检测结果的高度可信性。考虑到样本量和现有的检测能力，这还需要一年的时间。

卫生部还将密切监测Cordlife向其客户和公众发布信息的情况，以及在解决已发现的缺陷和进行改进方面取得的进展。其中包括指导Cordlife正确地确认和实施其新的温度监测系统，重新确认其脐带血单位的处理方法，并加强员工培训和更严格地监督其运营。

卫生部还与其他准备协助转移脐带血单位的提供者进行了讨论。有意愿的父母可以联系Cordlife和接收脐带血库，商讨转移安排。尽管如此，鉴于在零度以下的温度下进行物理转移的物流复杂性，特别是在无法确定脐带血是否受到影响的情况下，我们督促父母仔细考虑这样做的风险。

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（1）

2 Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked 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.

3 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis asked 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.

4 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked 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.

5 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked 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.

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新加坡国会丨来源

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