IVF embryo mix-up undisclosed for weeks sparks calls for 24-hour reporting rule

Hong Kong fertility clinics should be required to report serious incidents within 24 hours to both the regulator for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and health authorities, lawmakers have said, following an embryo mix-up at a centre that went undisclosed for weeks.

They urged the government on Wednesday to close the regulatory gap, a day after it emerged that HEAL Fertility in Central had mishandled embryo biopsy specimens from two patients and failed to promptly report the incident to health authorities.

The Council on Human Reproductive Technology said on Tuesday that it had ordered the private clinic to suspend 14 of its 17 services after discovering that embryo biopsy specimens sent for pre-implantation genetic testing belonged to the wrong patients.

Lawmaker Chan Hoi-yan, a member of the Legislative Council’s health services panel, called for an immediate review and amendment of the industry regulatory body’s code of practice to clearly define “serious incidents” and set strict reporting timelines.

“The Code of Practice on Reproductive Technology and Embryo Research does not specify how soon a medical centre must report [an incident] to the council. This must be reviewed and rectified,” Chan said, adding that authorities could reference other regulatory frameworks to set a 24-hour reporting requirement.

IVF, a form of infertility treatment, involves retrieving eggs from a woman’s ovaries and fertilising them with sperm in a laboratory to create embryos.