The Health Secretary, Ko Wing-man, said the government is considering whether it should follow the example of some countries which allow the use of organs from deceased people for transplants – if they have not registered any objection before death.
Such a law would make registration for organ donations unnecessary, but Dr Ko admitted that some people might not agree with such a law.
"We all know that there is a problem in Hong Kong in the sense that the organ donation rate is low compared with many other developed countries. Looking forward, I think there is a need to review the organ donation arrangement in Hong Kong," Dr Ko said.
He said this would include stepping up efforts to educate the public about the importance of organ donations.
His comments follow the death this week of a 19-year-old schoolgirl, Jamella Lo, who died of pulmonary hypertension, while waiting for a transplant, after coming down with a rare lung condition that affects just three or four people in Hong Kong each year.
The former President of the Hong Kong Society of Transplantation, Chau Ka-foon, warned this week that hundreds of patients waiting for organ transplants may end up facing the same fate if things do not improve.
Such a law would make registration for organ donations unnecessary, but Dr Ko admitted that some people might not agree with such a law.
"We all know that there is a problem in Hong Kong in the sense that the organ donation rate is low compared with many other developed countries. Looking forward, I think there is a need to review the organ donation arrangement in Hong Kong," Dr Ko said.
He said this would include stepping up efforts to educate the public about the importance of organ donations.
His comments follow the death this week of a 19-year-old schoolgirl, Jamella Lo, who died of pulmonary hypertension, while waiting for a transplant, after coming down with a rare lung condition that affects just three or four people in Hong Kong each year.
The former President of the Hong Kong Society of Transplantation, Chau Ka-foon, warned this week that hundreds of patients waiting for organ transplants may end up facing the same fate if things do not improve.
http://news.rthk.hk/rthk/en/component/k2/1216556-20151010.htm
