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Updated | New embryo authority unveiled today after minister flags vested interest
Member in former Embryo Protection Authority has vested clinical interest in IVF - ministry source
17 May 2013, 12:00am
Matthew Vella
Matthew Vella
1 min read
Judge emeritus Philip Sciberras will chair the new EPA board
Health minister Godfrey Farrugia today presented a new board of the Embryo Protection Authority, after dissolving the previous five-person board that his predecessor Joe Cassar appointed.
The new chairman is former judge Philip Sciberras, already appointed to a commission for the holistic revision of justice and the family commission, as well as the St Vincent de Paule home's management home.
Other members are family therapist Simone Attard, paediatrician Patrick Sammut, psychotherapist Mariella Meachen and psychologist Pauline Baldachhino.
The first authority, a vetting council for prospective parents seeking in vitro fertilization services from the national health service, was dissolved after one of its members was found to have had a "vested clinical interest", a ministry source said.
The Embryo Protection Authority was constituted in January 2013 by the previous administration, and was supposed to vet applications by couples seeking IVF, as legislated in parliament the previous year. MPs banned embryo freezing and any form of IVF that does not employ the method of egg freezing.
The EPA will be reconstituted after Farrugia felt the members appointed to the board "did not conform with the Embryo Protection Act".
The five-person board appointed by former health minister Joe Cassar consisted of gynaecologist Albert Scerri, who carries out his practice at both Mater Dei Hospital and the private St James Hospital, which previously was the only provider of IVF treatment.
The other members were retired judge Albert Magri, paediatrician Valerie Said Conti, University of Malta lecturer and psychologist Clarissa Sammut Scerri. The former minister also installed a member of the Bioethics Consultative Committee, Daniela Cassar, to the authority even though the 27-year-old lawyer was still studying for a Master's degree in bioethics.
Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...
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Martin, I like the heading, "Update" and "New". Now, when I started to follow the article I see an old face and more of the same people appointed. Of course I do not know the man I do assume he is competent in this "Update", "New Embryo Technology". What a mouth full for us common mortals. I envy these people who are always holding all these new created positions I assume because of their competence on the matter?
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Qeghdin sew. Mela meta jahtar board gdid il PL tal PN johorgu jnewwhu bis-soltu diska migrufa " more jobs for the boys ". Il mistoqsija tigi wehida. Il bordijiet li kien hatar gvern Nazzjonalista ma kienux " Jobs for their boys "? Dejjem hekk kienu ma jinbidlu qatt, taghhom biss ifuh, ta haddiehor jinten.
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@spa...rixxa
Int taf x'qaltilkom Ann Feneck l-esperta fl-ingarzar? Int taf kif bla ma ried kixifkom Jean pierre Farrugia?
Dawn it tnejn ma jridux nazzjonalisti jikkoperaw mal-gvern. Mela inutli toqghod tinfoska. Jekk ma tridux tikkoperaw affari taghkom. Jalla tkomplu sejrin hekk halli kif qalilkom Simple Simon tkomplu gas down ghal gol-hajt. Dik li tahseb li hi xi gharfa, Ann Feneck qalet li l-progett tal energija tal-PL ma jistax isir. L-aqwa kumpaniji mondjali tal-energija, stmawha f'ghajnhom u applikaw jigru ghat tender tal-gvern tal-PL. Ara min ghandkom itikhom il-pariri wkoll. Veru sirtu partit tad-dahq.
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More jobs for the boys
