Yan Shuqing's parents, who run a small business, have spent more than 200,000 yuan ($32,200) for her treatment and are now deeply in debt.

The medical staff at Qianfoshan Hospital donated nearly 40,000 yuan to the family, according to Men Tongyi, a leading kidney transplant surgeon at the hospital.

Men said a serious shortage of organ donors has left patients waiting for "two or three years to receive an organ match".

Last year, the hospital performed nearly 100 kidney transplants. More than half were living organ donations between family members.

"I hope the new organ donation system will help ease the shortage to save more patients but it will take time and great efforts," he said.

Gao Xinpu said an online registration system will be launched by the end of June to help facilitate donations.

"People can then fill in online application forms to become a volunteer organ donor," he said.

But medical experts acknowledged that the likelihood that the volunteers actually donate an organ is very slim.

Only one out of every 30 patients waiting for a life-saving organ transplant will receive a donated organ match on the mainland, statistics from the health authorities showed.