Professor Chen Zhonghua, doctor from Wuhan Tongji Hospital, Hubei
Province, said that China's legislation process to identify brain
death is delayed by five misconceptions that exist in society.
On
April 10 this year, China's first case of brain death was announced
by Wuhan Tongji Hospital, resulting in an immediate response from
society leading to much debate. It is a sign that China is
beginning to accept "brain death" as a form of death and gives it
the push forward for legislative change at the same time.
Doctor Chen is the professor specially appointed by the Education
Ministry's Yangtze River Scholar Project, and also director of the
Organ Transplant Institute Of Wuhan Tongji Hospital. Meanwhile,
Chen is working as leader of the "brain death" collaboration group
of Wuhan Tongji Hospital -- China's only research organization
specializing in brain death.
Chen gave details of five misconceptions about brain death that
exist in society:
First, someone said to be brain dead when they are not in order to
ease the suffering of the family, may ease the family members' pain
of waiting and hopelessness.
Second, someone misunderstanding brain death as that of a
vegetable. The judgment criteria may in fact be diverse.
Third, someone has confused brain death with euthanasia. There are
diverse reasons that determine the right of life. Brain death's
determination for the right of life is extended to his family
dependents spontaneously, but euthanasia is a death determined by
oneself.
Fourth, someone misunderstands that the call for brain death is a
need for organ transplantation. Organ transplanting must be agreed
by a patient in advance, while brain death also needs agreement
before transplantation. Brain death won't ease the tense condition
of organ transplanting.
Five, judicial fields have no profound knowledge of the social
effects following the legislation of brain death. They are worried
about civil action caused by brain death. While medical fields have
not yet learned adequately about brain death and have not achieved
abundant knowledge on the subject.
Professor Chen Zhonghua indicated that China's legislation of brain
death is a complicated issue involving technology, human rights and
ethics. "It would be gratifying if the legislation of brain death
came to being in China -- a country with one fourth of the world
population," Chen said.
(China.org.cn by Wang Zhiyong, May 28, 2003)