China's Ministry of Health issued a circular Thursday calling for health departments and supervising bodies to exert more control over assisted reproductive technology and sperm banks.

The circular also called for strict punishment for practicing assisted reproductive technology and setting up sperm banks without the ministry's approval.

Those medical institutions that have been approved by the government will also be punished if found violating the technical standards and ethical principles or overstepping their operationalranges.

The ministry has recently assessed more than 70 medical institutions in 23 Chinese provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.

The sperm bank in the affiliated hospital of the family planning institute of Chongqing municipality, southwest China, hasbeen suspended to operate because of malpractice.

By the end of December 2004, the ministry had approved 37 medical institutions to practice assisted reproductive technology, five to set up sperm banks.