Fertility treatment scandal: Assuta finds no flaws in documentation
Following concerns regarding a potential genetic mismatch of a sperm donor at the Assuta medical center, the facility announced that no errors were found in its records. Assuta has proposed that the Ministry of Health conduct genetic testing on remaining samples to provide an additional layer of verification.
The investigation into the sperm donation case at Assuta Ramat HaHayal is ongoing. On Wednesday, the medical center announced that after an internal review of procedures within its sperm bank and In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) unit, no flaws were found in the records or documentation.
At the same time, the medical center recommended that the Ministry of Health perform genetic testing on the remaining sperm samples to verify whether they match the donors to whom they are attributed in the bank's records. The center stated that such testing would provide an additional layer of verification, allowing for a comparison between administrative records and the biological material currently in storage.
Because the samples belong to the patient, her consent is required to perform the tests. The medical center has requested her approval, as the analysis cannot proceed without it.
As previously reported, over two weeks ago, the Ministry of Health announced that results from a private genetic test conducted at a laboratory abroad indicated a potential genetic mismatch regarding the donor used for the patient's children. This case was first brought to light by N12.
The patient, who is undergoing fertility treatments, is already the mother of a 3-year-old child conceived using a specific donor's sperm. After giving birth to her second child a month ago, she noticed that the children did not resemble each other, prompting her to seek genetic testing. This has raised questions about whether the first child was conceived using the same donor or a different one.
The Ministry of Health has begun examining the details of the case, including the methodology used by the private laboratory. Simultaneously, a professional audit of Assuta Medical Centers is underway.
"A short time ago, an inquiry was received from a patient who raised doubts regarding the source of the sperm donation she chose. Upon receiving the inquiry, Assuta immediately reported it to the Ministry of Health, as is customary, and began an in-depth examination of the case," the medical center stated.
