The foster parents of 31-year-old Kelvin Li Kwok-yin who was swapped with another baby shortly after he was born have a chance to find their biological son as a possible candidate has agreed to taking a DNA test in mid-June. At the same time, Li was displeased with the handling of the incident by the Hospital Authority (HA).

Li was told by the HA and Social Welfare Department (SWD) officials that the result of the test, which would tell whether the man is his foster parents' son, will be available in late June.

Li was born in Tsan Yuk Hospital on November 30, 1976, and was cared for at the Chuk Yuen Children's Reception Centre for a month after his mother, not married at that time, surrendered him to Po Leung Kuk, the charitable body that ran that center.

Kelvin Li Kwok-yin who was swapped with another baby 31 years ago meets with government officials yesterday. China Daily

He discovered that he was swapped with another baby last November when his sister found out that her mother, Lui Fung-ha, has type O blood, while Li's blood type is AB positive.

A DNA test earlier this year on another possible candidate gave Li and the parents brief hope, but the result was disappointing.

"I have high expectation about the coming DNA test," Li said. "It gives me new hope."

The HA has sent 180 registered letters to households whose sons were born in the hospital in 1976. But 51 of these letters could not be delivered to the recipients, probably because they had moved out.

Li criticized the HA for being too slow in its handling of the matter.

The authority's spokesman Poon Kai-tik said it will seek ways to locate the remaining households.

Li demanded that the authority collaborate with other government departments, such as the Security Bureau, to track down the 51 households by late June.

Li said the authority told him earlier in a meeting that they need to respect the privacy ordinance.

The family will consider taking the authority to court for mishandling the matter and asking the court to decide whether the privacy ordinance can be bypassed under such special circumstances if the authority fails to give him a reply within this month.

"We are seeking legal advice," Li said. "I just want to tell the authority that such blunder (swapping babies) cannot be tolerated."

Stephen Fisher, director of the SWD which now manages the children's center, said Li registered with the name Lui Man-tin when he was staying in the center.

Fisher said the records kept by the center were destroyed in 2003.

The department currently has 25 names that were used to open files at the children's center in 1976.

The department will try to match the names with children who were adopted between 1976 and 1978.

The department may invite these people for DNA tests if they can be successfully located.

"But it is unlikely that the swap happened in the children's center," Fisher added.

(HK Edition 06/05/2008 page1)