MP Vladimíra Marcinková (SaS) has urged the Health Ministry to suspend umbilical cord blood donations in Slovakia, citing a criminal probe into unauthorized collection of tissues and misuse of power.
She said parents were misled into believing donations would help cancer patients, while in reality the blood was used for experimental therapies. Some facilities, she warned, still collect cord blood, even from premature babies, and promote unproven treatments.
Marcinková criticized the ministry for failing to act and called for stricter oversight, noting that unlike Slovakia, no such donations were made in the Czech Republic last year.
The Health Ministry said it is preparing legislative changes, but declined to comment on ongoing investigations.
Source: TASR
