Prisoner Organ Donations to be Phased Out in China

Having announced the shelving of organ donation from executed prisoners early this year, China revealed that it will start phasing out the practice from next year as new organ donation system is implemented. The Red Cross Society of China had conducted a pilot organ donation program in 16 regions in the country over the last two years and the program will be expanded nationwide next year. The implementation will coincide with the phasing out of prisoner organ donations with the Chinese healthy ministry acknowledging that harvesting organs from executed prisoners is neither ethical nor sustainable.

“Now there is consensus among China's transplant community that the new system will relinquish the reliance on organs from executed convicts. The implementation of the new national system will start early next year at the latest. This will also mark the start of phasing out the old practice”, government appointee, Wang Haibo said.

Source-Medindia