Former employee at Hong Kong fertility clinic wanted by police over embryo specimen mix-up

Police are searching for a former employee at a fertility clinic over mix-ups in May that resulted in the wrong embryo specimens being sent for DNA testing.

Heal Fertility Centre in Central. Photo: Heal Fertility Centre.

The development comes less than a month after the incidents at Heal Fertility Centre in Central came to light.

Citing sources, local media reported on Monday that police interviewed the woman, who is Malaysian, late last month as part of an investigation.

The next day, the woman left Hong Kong for Malaysia and resigned from her job, according to local media.

Police suspect that the woman attempted to fabricate lies to cover up her mistakes, and that the incidents are not related to embryo trafficking.

The case has been classified as fraud and police are searching for the suspect, the police force said in response to local media on Monday.

Fertility services suspended

The Council on Human Reproductive Technology revealed the May incidents during a press conference in early July.

In one case, six out of the seven embryo specimens sent for testing did not belong to the purported parents. In the other case, neither of the two embryo specimens belonged to the purported parents.

The council was only notified of the mix-ups on June 17, and it reported the case to the Department of Health on July 3 after inspecting the clinic multiple times. The Hong Kong government later reported the case to the police.

The Hong Kong Police Force emblem outside the police headquarters in Wan Chai. File photo: Candice Chau/HKFP.

As part of in vitro fertilisation (IVF)  procedures, the DNA testing allows couples to check whether their embryos have chromosomal abnormalities before they are implanted into the uterus.

The Council on Human Reproductive Technology said it had ordered the clinic to suspend all fertility services until investigation is complete.

Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau said in early July that he considered the incidents unusual because dual supervision is required for biopsy handling in IVF procedures.

In addition to the operator, a supervisor must be present on site, and the specimens must be signed off and confirmed by both technicians simultaneously, he said.