The Ministry of Health has recently approved China's first
standard to accurately judge brain death.
It means that cardiac function is no longer the sole criterion
in determining death.
The standard was formulated by Tongji Hospital affiliated to Huazhong University of
Science and Technology. The hospital announced a death in April
last year with brain death standard, the first ever on the Chinese
mainland.
The concept of brain death was first raised by scientists at
Harvard University in 1968. Since then, more than 80 countries and
regions have adopted the standard, along with the corresponding
legislation.
(CRI May 3, 2004)