The Knesset Labor, Welfare and Health Committee approved, Monday, regulations for private umbilical cord blood banks which will regulate thetraining,implementation andsupervisionofcollectingcord blood by private concerns. Stem cells from cord blood are used in treatment of 80 life-threatening diseases.
The regulationsspecifyrequirementsand conditions forthe establishment and operationofa private bank,what are the goals of the collection,whatharvesting process is to be followed,will the unit be stored domestically or abroad,how theinformation is given to the mother,how toobtain informed consentand whattodo incases wherethe bloodcollectedis not suitablefor preservation.The regulations are scheduled to go into effect six monthsafter their publication.