SINGAPORE: Private cord blood bank Cordlife said it had submitted written representations to the Ministry of Health on Monday (Oct 27), the deadline given to the embattled firm.
It was the last day of a 14-day period during which it could submit these representations to MOH, before the ministry decides whether to proceed with a one-year suspension.
Since Sept 30, one day after receiving MOH’s Notice of Intent on the one-year suspension, Cordlife said it had voluntarily stopped the collection, testing, processing and/or storage of any new cord blood units (CBUs).
Cord blood contains stem cells that can be used to treat blood diseases and some cancers, such as leukaemia and lymphoma, should the baby develop these illnesses later in life.
Cordlife first received a six-month suspension in November 2023 after audit checks found lapses in its storage of cord blood units.
Cordlife was allowed to resume operations in a calibrated manner in September 2024, and on Jan 14, 2025 its licence was also renewed for one year.
However, a midpoint audit found that Cordlife had failed to comply with various regulatory requirements, such as governance, incident reporting and management, as well as processes for collection, testing and processing of new cord blood units.
The embattled private cord blood bank subsequently faced its cord blood banking services suspended again for one year. - The Straits Times/ANN
