Controversy Surrounding Organ Donation and Mutual Aid Mechanism in Hong Kong

[Report from our newspaper]The cross-border organ transplant mutual aid mechanism has recently caused controversy, and even the number of cases of withdrawal from organ donation in Hong Kong has also increased. The Legislative Council passed the motion of “Implementing Organ Transplant Cooperation with the Mainland” yesterday. Some members criticized some people for being biased against China, pointing out that the Mainland has established a system to regulate organ donation, and some members criticized someone for discrediting organ donation on the Internet The related mutual assistance mechanism is described as deliberately creating conflicts between the two places, which is similar to the anti-amendment law incident in 2019. Law enforcement agencies are required to investigate thoroughly, and the government has also accused some people of spreading rumors and lying about the issue.

In response to the organ donation register incident earlier, the government pointed out that a small number of people had “ulterior motives” undermining and “creating conflicts”, and these people “buried their consciences” and “put blame on them” to create cross-border mutual aid to affect their willingness to donate organs I also saw a lot of rumors and false information on the Internet, emphasizing that citizens have the “absolutely voluntary” right to register and cancel organ donation.

Councilors Ge Peifan and Li Zijing criticized some people for discrediting the mutual aid mechanism related to organ donation and calling on people to cancel organ donation registration on the Internet, accusing them of maliciously spreading rumors, describing it as very shameful and “inhumane”, and believing that the practice was planned to create conflicts between the two places, propaganda tactics Similar to the anti-revision incident in 2019, law enforcement agencies are urged to conduct a thorough investigation.

Urge Hong Kong government to expand sources of organ donation

Lin Zhexuan, a member of the medical and health sector, supports the establishment of a mechanism, saying that Hong Kong’s organ transplantation technology is mature, but there are not many people waiting for organ transplantation, and there is a lack of organ donation in Hong Kong. From 2015 to 2019, the waiting list for kidney, liver, and heart transplants all showed an upward trend, with average waiting times of 54, 43.8, and 25 months, respectively. During the same period, 150 people died while waiting. He pointed out that Hong Kong is one of the places with the lowest organ donation in the world. Recently, more people have withdrawn from the donation list. He also pointed out that the increase in the number of withdrawals has made the chances of waiting patients even slimmer. He urged the government to expand the source of voluntary organ donation and cooperate with the Mainland Carry out organ donation.

Regarding the opinion that accepting organs from the Mainland will affect the reputation of Hong Kong, Lam retorted that there are people in the world who are prejudiced against China, emphasizing that “prejudice is not equal to facts”, and reiterated that the Mainland currently has a system to regulate organ donation.

Regarding the long waiting time for organ donation, Councilor Kwan Ho-ming described it as no different from the elderly waiting for elderly care homes. There is little innovation and no new plan to increase organ donation rates. He urged the government to devote more resources to vigorously promote organ donation, and to pass legislation to ensure that the wishes of donors are expressed and respected after death.