Organ trading reports irresponsible
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-10-10 21:38
China's Health Ministry spokesman Mao Qun'an has labeled a foreign media
report that says organs of executed prisoners are being traded in China as
"irresponsible".
The foreign media has made up an untrue report in order to attack the Chinese
legal system, Mao said at a press conference.
The report failed to mention the efforts made by the Chinese government to
strengthen the regulation of organ transplants, Mao said.
The Ministry of Health said earlier this year in response to similar foreign
media reports that most organs in China were voluntarily donated by ordinary
citizens and a small number came from executed criminals who voluntarily signed
donation forms.
It is estimated that two million Chinese need transplants each year, but only
20,000 operations are conducted because of a shortage of organs.
The purchase and sale of human organs are banned in China after a new
regulation came into effect on July 1. Strict rules have also been imposed on
human organ transplants in response to fierce overseas criticism of China's
transplant industry.
The ministry is also drafting new rules to make organ donation easier for the
public, which will standardize organ donation procedures and encourage people to
become donors.
China is the world's second largest performer of organ transplants after the
United States, with about 5,000 transplants completed each
year.
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