China introduces fair organ distribution system

BEIJING - A new system for the management and distribution of donated human organs will soon go into operation nationwide, a health official said Wednesday.

Technical means will be used to monitor human intervention in organ distribution, Deng Haihua, spokesman for the National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC), said at a Wednesday press conference.

The system has been in development since 2010, Deng said, adding that the system is ready to go into use nationwide after several successful trials.

All patients currently on organ waiting lists will be ranked according to their degree of need, he said.

"The system will be used in line with organ distribution policies and will automatically match organs and recipients in accordance with their degree of medical need, as well as the donor and recipient's compatibility," Deng said.

The commission will also introduce rules concerning the obtainment, distribution and management of organs in order to make the distribution process more transparent, he said.

Deng said the rules will also make the use of the system compulsory.

During the trials, 38 authorized institutions obtained 720 organs from 353 donors through the system, the commission's figures showed.

Government statistics indicate that about 1.5 million Chinese need transplants, but only around 10,000 operations are performed annually due to a lack of donors.