The CEO of Monash IVF has resigned following a series of scandals including two embryo mix-ups in recent months. There's now a growing push for stricter laws to govern Australia’s fertility industry.
00:00In a statement to the ASX on Thursday morning, Monash IVF announced its chief, Michael Knapp, was out.
00:09Two days after the company revealed it had incorrectly transferred the wrong embryo to a patient in Melbourne last week.
00:17It's the second mix-up in recent months.
00:20Revelations that have shaken public trust in the broader fertility industry, says bioethicist Evie Kendall.
00:26When the stakes are this high, when we're talking about family building and the creation of children, we want that risk to be as low as possible.
00:33We need to have whatever levels of verification are required to bring that number as close to zero as possible.
00:39The Victorian Health Regulator is investigating Monash IVF's latest bungle, while investors have given their verdict this week, as they did in April when the first mix-up was made public.
00:50When the stock price drops, when there are obviously unhappy major investors, no company can stand immune from the criticism.
00:58And the decision's obviously been made that the responsibility needs to be taken by the CEO in this case.
01:04Anastasia and Lexi Gunn's three sons were conceived through IVF with a different provider, and they paid to use the same donor.
01:11But they say DNA testing now shows their eldest son is not biologically related to their two younger boys.
01:18People are fearful and have a right to be fearful that their clinics have not used the correct gametes or embryos in their fertility treatment.
01:27I'm seeing a lot of parents who are very frightened and are DNA testing their children.
01:34The Victorian Government is now pushing for stronger national laws for Australia's fertility industry and will make the case when the nation's health ministers meet in Melbourne on Friday.
01:44At the heart of this issue are families who deserve to have the confidence of the big life-changing journeys that they go through by going on an IVF journey that they have confidence in the system.
01:57Building back trust in a system relied on by so many families.
02:01Building back trust in connection may be residents.
