The parents paid for years to have their infants’ cord blood stored, with the understanding that the stem cells they contained may provide life-saving protection if their children subsequently fell ill. They have formed a group to evaluate potential legal action. Some rejected Singapore-based Cordlife’s proposal to refund the fees for samples deemed to be damaged, saying it was inadequate.
Thousands of parents in Singapore are furious, with some now pursuing legal action, after a major operator of cord blood banks in Asia irreparably damaged their children’s samples through improper handling.
The ongoing case, one of the worst to hit the largely untested industry, has renewed concerns over companies marketing themselves to anxious parents with mostly unproven assurances. The scandal now engulfing Cordlife Group Ltd (SGX:P8A
) . has implications across the region, given its operations in Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, the Philippines and India.
