A process overhaul has taken place at Cordlife under the leadership of its new boss Ivan Yiu, who vows to rebuild trust at the troubled private cord blood bank.
New laboratory hires have also been added to boost the firm's technical strength.
Mr Yiu spoke to The Straits Times on May 7, the first time the group chief executive officer broke his silence since taking over the reins of the company on Feb 19.
Processes at the company have been in the spotlight after it was revealed on Nov 30, 2023, that cryopreserved cord blood units in seven of its 22 storage tanks were exposed to sub-optimal storage temperatures. Cord blood units have to be stored at temperatures of no higher than minus 150 deg C.
About 7,500 cord blood units in two tanks and in a dry shipper - a container used to transport cord blood units at extremely low temperatures have been deemed non-viable and unlikely to be suitable for stem cell transplants.
The company is now facing pressure on multiple fronts - including investigations by the police and health authorities, legal actions from aggrieved customers, and internal shareholder disputes.
When asked why he believed that Cordlife can still continue to operate and win over new clients after losing customers' trust, Mr Yiu said: "While this has been one of the company's biggest challenges, we have gained insight into how we can strengthen and improve our processes. The new Cordlife has even tighter measures to ensure cord blood units are safely stored." In a statement on May 7, the company said it has recruited two additional lab directors with PhDs and implemented a retention programme to foster stability among its lab personnel with high potential in Singapore.
A spokesman added that the company is also reaching out to former staff from its processing and storage facilities in other markets to support its lab operations in Singapore.
Esta historia es de la edición May 08, 2024 de The Straits Times.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición May 08, 2024 de The Straits Times.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
THE NEW BERNABEU A REAL PROBLEM
Locals and neighbourhood residents hate noise from concerts and construction work
Japan seek to beat the heat and Saudi Arabia
HONG KONG - Japan face second-placed Saudi Arabia in Group C of Asia's third round of World Cup qualifiers in Jeddah on Oct 10, looking to continue their prolific start as top-of-the-table clashes take centre stage across the continent.
Police investigating Spanish pair over protests in S'pore
A Spanish man and woman in their 30s are assisting the police with investigations after photos appeared on social media of the man holding a banner in various parts of Singapore to protest against Singaporean business magnate Peter Lim, who owns Spanish top-tier football club Valencia.
FROM SAUDI SPLURGE TO SPENDING SLUMP
Football transfer outlay drops in 2024 as officials assess the commercial returns
Future looks bright for America's Cup: Ainslie
BARCELONA - Sailing has a great opportunity to develop as a sport if the America's Cup can involve more frequent events and evolve the boats now being raced, according to British skipper Ben Ainslie.
Sport can be 'solution multiplier' for climate
LONDON – Sports clubs and organisations must raise their game and become leaders in the battle to prevent catastrophic climate change, Sport England chairman Chris Boardman said on Oct 8.
SINNER TO BE GIVEN NO QUARTER
Medvedev vows to put up a better fight against world No. 1 in Shanghai last eight
Ryder Cup captains won't exclude LIV Golf players
NEW YORK - Ryder Cup captains Keegan Bradley and Luke Donald said on Oct 8 that they will not shy away from including LIV Golf players in their respective teams for the 2025 biennial showdown between the United States and Europe.
MISTY SWIFT EARNS EVEN MORE FANS AT TRIALS
Ex-Kranji runner No More Delay also struts his stuff at hit-outs
MediShield Life can be made more effective. Its review holds the key
We must incentivise outpatient treatment and accept that, in some cases, personalised medicine can save lives.