Editorial | It’s time Hong Kong got tough on cross-border blood sample smuggling
Stronger enforcement is needed to stop mainland couples using Hong Kong laboratories for gender testing, a practice banned on the mainland
One local laboratory named in connection with the testing said it did not provide any services to the company, which charges HK$3,000 (US$385) for testing at the six-week mark. The Department of Health said two Hong Kong labs linked to the illegal importation of blood samples for fetal gender testing had falsely claimed in social media posts to be “laboratories accredited by the [department]”.
Alex Li Wai-chun, chairman of the Hong Kong Association of Medical Laboratories, said medical tests on samples without a doctor’s referral, or on samples brought into the city illegally, could contravene medical laboratory technologists’ regulations. Li said laboratories conducting such tests could be doing them in bulk for significant revenue. Given that it could be illegal, he said, “no one would be doing it if it were not profitable”.
Hong Kong may not be able to do much to discourage sex-selective abortions. But as we have argued before, the authorities should explore ways to curb facilitation of activities expressly outlawed across the border. Moreover, the nature of the business makes medical supervision unlikely. Given the public health implications of any surge in blood sample imports, there may be a case to consider stronger enforcement.
The fact that the issue is being raised again does imply community concern. There is a need for clarity about the rules and enforcement to ensure everything is being done ethically and responsibly.