China to improve nationwide organ distribution system

SHENZHEN - China will cooperate with Italy and Spain to improve China's national-level human organ distribution system, ensuring safety of organ donors and receivers and enhancing professional training, according to agreements signed Saturday.

The Chinese research center for organ distribution and sharing system signed cooperation agreements separately with an Italian organization and a Spanish one in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, in a bid to learn from their experience and practices.

There are annually 300,000 patients in China waiting for organs, figures showed. China now has 164 qualified hospitals for practicing human organs transplantation.

The national organ distribution and sharing system, which was put into use in April 2011 to ensure fair and transparent organs distribution in China, has helped 626 patients in need.