Importance of donors stressed during Shanghai Body Donation Day

More than 400 volunteers, health officials, families of donors, organ recipients, medical students, and medics participated in a ceremony to honor and express respect to donors, and promote body and organ donation on Friday, the 22nd Shanghai Body Donation Day.

Shanghai was the first to carry out such donations in China in 1982, and the city passed a regulation in 2000, the first of its kind in the nation, to regulate body and organ donations, according to the Red Cross Society of China Shanghai Branch, which is in charge of body and organ donations in the city.

Nearly 70,000 people have registered to donate their bodies or corneas and about 17,000 donations were made. Over 130,000 people registered to donate organs and 1,155 donations had occurred, benefiting more than 3,300 patients with organ failure.

Ti Gong

Dr Chen Guoqing, director of the Organ Procurement Organization office at Shanghai General Hospital, said there was a significant shortage of organ donors in China.

"There were about 160,000 patients with organ failure waiting for transplants in 2023, when just under 24,000 surgeries were carried out. That ratio is 1 to 6.7. We call for more understanding, support, and promotion on donations to help patients in need," he said.

A man surnamed Tan shared his story as a family member of organ donors and also the recipient of a donated organ.

He said he was healthy when his family member wanted to become an organ donor and he hesitated in giving agreement at that time.

"Years later, I became a uremia patient needing three dialysis services per week. The only purpose of my life was to wait for a donated organ and transplant surgery. I am a new man after receiving the organ transplant and then I really felt the selflessness and greatness of organ donors and fully appreciated my decision before," he said. "I wish more people would join the team of organ donors to provide new hope of life to hundreds and thousands of patients."