China is suffering a serious shortage of human organ donations.

"There are about 1.5 million people in China who need transplants each year, but only around 10,000 operations can be carried out due to shortages," according to Huang Jiefu, vice minister of health.

China, like other countries, is faced with a huge gap between patients who need organ transplants and limited organ donations, Huang said. The main cause of the shortage is that many Chinese are not willing to donate their organs after death because of traditional rituals and beliefs, he said.

There is also no clear guidance for the public on what to do if they wish to donate organs, which often results in those willing to donate unable to do so.

The absence of laws concerning organ transplants and irregular organ transplant practices in some medical institutions have blocked the promotion of organ transplants in China, Huang said.

China performs the second most organ transplant operations in the world every year and its technology is improving, with a longer survival rate for patients who have had the operations.

Source:佚名