Australia s Monash IVF reports second embryo incident in two months

Australian fertility group Monash IVF on Tuesday reported a new incident related to an embryo transfer, within a couple of months after reporting a similar case where a doctor accidentally implanted the wrong embryo.

The latest incident, which occurred on June 5 at the companys Clayton laboratory, has been reported to regulatory bodies and the companys insurer, Monash said, issuing an apology to the impacted couple. The company is also conducting an internal investigation.

The firm added that it is implementing additional verification processes and patient confirmation safeguards to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The clinic owner in April reported a similar incident where an Australian woman gave birth to a strangers baby due to a Monash fertility doctors error.

Shares of Monash are down about 31% since the news.

The mix-up has drawn attention to an industry that was largely self-regulated until recently and raised concerns about security protocols at IVF clinics.

The facilities are regulated by a mix of Australian industry bodies and state government agencies. REUTERS

Join STs Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.