Society

Organ transplants restarted in Wuhan

By Chen Ziyan (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-07-21 15:21

After a stoppage of more than six months in organ transplants by the Ministry of Health, Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei province, restarted organ transplants as one of the 10 approved trial sites for organ donations, the Chutian Metropolitan News reported Wednesday.

According to estimates, 1,000 corpses were needed for scientific research, teaching and transplants in Wuhan, but the number of donations was scarce. In the last 10 years, only 300 people kept their promises to donate, out of 5,000 registrants.

In March, the Red Cross of China, together with the Ministry of Health, decided to launch a one-year trial program for organ transplants in 10 regions, including Tianjin, Shanghai, Liaoning and Wuhan.

Among those cities, Wuhan encourages citizens who have full capacity for civil conduct to register for organ donations through written forms and to complete the donation after their death. As for those who didn't indicate whether they would donate, their organs could also be donated after their death if their spouses, adult children and parents reach an agreement.

In addition, more than five hospitals in Wuhan have been approved to carry out organ transplants during the one-year trial period, and a special dispatch center has been set up to respond to emergency organ transplants.