China Announces Measures to Limit Illegal Organ Transplants

Posted August 4th, 2011 at 3:15 am (UTC-5)
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Chinese state media say the government is testing a new system to detect and prevent illegal human organ procurements and transplants.

The Communist Party flagship People's Daily said Thursday the system will make it easier for doctors and the public to report illegal organ trading. In an article first published in Taiwan's China Daily, it said the Chinese health ministry is also considering a registration system for organ transplant surgeons.

The article says China has a problem with illegal agencies that resort to forging paperwork to find matching organs for patients. It says the country also has unqualified hospitals that conduct organ transplants for large profits.

Foreign news organizations and rights groups say as many as two-thirds of the organs used in Chinese transplants come from executed prisoners. They also say wealthy foreigners travel to China seeking to purchase organs from unscrupulous dealers.