Health authorities denied Monday accusations that China harvests organs
from prisoners on death row for transplants.
At yesterday's press conference, Ministry of Health spokesman Mao Qun'an said
that organs used in the country's transplant surgeries mainly come from
voluntary donations made by citizens before they pass away.
"For a fraction of inmates who have committed serious crimes and are awaiting
the death penalty, body parts could be used only if they sign a medical
document, or if their families approve," he said. "It also needs the approval of
the relative administrative and judiciary departments after strict scrutiny has
been conducted."
Mao said the process is the same as if the donation was made by a normal
citizen in advance. He accused some foreign media organizations yesterday of
fabricating the news and misinforming the public.
The Ministry of Health issued a long-awaited regulation on human organ
transplants late last month, explicitly banning the sale of body parts,
requiring written permission from donors and introducing certain medical
standards.
"One of the biggest problems in regulating organ transplants in our country
is that supervision is scant," Mao admitted.
It might bring huge risks to some patients if no standards and controls
accompany this new medical technique, he added.
(China Daily 04/11/2006 page2)
