China's Ministry of Health is drafting new rules to make organ
donation easier for the public.
The regulation will standardize the organ donation procedures
and encourage people to become donors.
"Many more donors are needed, but they often meet difficulties
when they apply, so the ministry must standardize the application
process and technology of transplants, which is complicated and
risky," said ministry spokesman Mao Qun'an.
Mao was responding to questions about reports of would-be donors
having their wishes unrealized because of confusion over the
procedures or which agency to apply to.
The regulation would specify the whole application process and
stipulate the requirements for medical institutions conducting
transplants.
"Only the medical institutions that meet the technological
requirements can undertake transplant surgery," said Mao.
It is estimated that two million Chinese need transplants each
year, but only 20,000 operations are conducted because of a
shortage of organs.
Foreign media have reported that organs are taken from executed
criminals, but the Ministry of Health denied this in April, saying
most organs in China had been voluntarily donated by ordinary
citizens on their deaths and a small number from executed criminals
who voluntarily signed donation approvals.
(Xinhua News Agency September 12, 2006)