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[Reporter Jianfu Zhan / Report]
The cases of Taiwanese nationals traveling abroad for organ transplants have always been a "dark figure" due to patients often keeping it secret. According to the latest statistics from the Department of Health and the Central Health Insurance Bureau, only 153 people in Taiwan donated organs after death last year, but the number of people who received major illness cards for organ transplants was as high as 725. After deducting over a hundred cases of living liver and kidney transplants, the Department of Health estimates that at least 450 people chose to go to mainland China for liver or kidney transplants last year in hopes of a lifeline.
Although the government does not permit it and the medical community does not encourage it, patients continue to go to mainland China for liver and kidney transplants. In rural areas of central and southern Taiwan, advertisements for "arranging trips to mainland China for liver and kidney transplants" are blatantly displayed, and some medical personnel even privately broker such transplants for patients. As a result, many patients, unable to wait for organ donation opportunities, opt for kidney or liver transplants in mainland China.
For liver transplants, many domestic liver cancer patients, after failing to find a matching donor among relatives, choose to go to mainland China for liver transplants from executed prisoners to save time. Dr. Jinn-Chyuan Sheu, Executive Director of the Liver Disease Prevention and Treatment Foundation and Professor of Internal Medicine at National Taiwan University, stated that the Health Insurance Bureau requires pre-approval for liver transplants. For example, some patients with multiple liver tumors cannot be treated with embolization, and surgical removal is not completely effective, yet they do not meet the Health Insurance Bureau's approval standards, forcing them to seek liver transplants in mainland China.
As for kidney transplants, the demand far exceeds the supply. According to the Department of Health, over 5,000 dialysis patients in Taiwan are registered for kidney transplants, but only a little over a hundred people donate organs after brain death each year. Dr. Po-Chang Lee, Director of Surgery at National Cheng Kung University Hospital in Tainan, pointed out that while the quality of dialysis in Taiwan is above average, international literature suggests that kidney transplant recipients have better prognoses and quality of life compared to those undergoing dialysis three times a week. However, "the lack of a strong organ donation culture in Taiwan forces some patients to take the risk of going to mainland China for kidney transplants."
The question is, how many people are going to mainland China for liver or kidney transplants? Both the Department of Health and the medical community have lacked relevant statistics until the Organ Donation Registration Center was established in May two years ago, which began tracking such cases. It was found that last year, 153 people in Taiwan donated organs after brain death. However, according to the Health Insurance Bureau, the number of major illness cards issued for organ transplants (excluding cornea transplants) was 4,015 two years ago and accumulated to 4,740 last year, with 725 new cases appearing in just one year. After deducting about a hundred cases of living liver and kidney transplants, the Department of Health estimates that at least 450 people went to mainland China for liver or kidney transplants last year.
Dr. Wen-Je Ko, Director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at National Taiwan University Hospital, expressed "great surprise" at these figures. He emphasized that the current government policy effectively allows wealthy individuals to openly go to mainland China for transplants and then return to Taiwan to continue receiving expensive anti-rejection drugs covered by health insurance, which is extremely unfair to poorer patients who cannot afford such transplants. He called for "effective management" policies to address these overseas transplant cases.
[2006/04/21 United Daily News]
Source: http://udn. com/ NEWS/ LIFE/ LIF2/ 3272904. shtml
At Least 450 People Traveled to Mainland China for Liver and Kidney Transplants Last Year
The cases of Taiwanese nationals traveling abroad for organ transplants have always been a "dark figure" due to patients often keeping it secret. According to the latest statistics from the Department of Health and the Central Health Insurance Bureau, only 153 people in Taiwan donated organs after death last year, but the number of people who received major illness cards for organ transplants was as high as 725. After deducting over a hundred cases of living liver and kidney transplants, the Department of Health estimates that at least 450 people chose to go to mainland China for liver or kidney transplants last year in hopes of a lifeline.
Although the government does not permit it and the medical community does not encourage it, patients continue to go to mainland China for liver and kidney transplants. In rural areas of central and southern Taiwan, advertisements for "arranging trips to mainland China for liver and kidney transplants" are blatantly displayed, and some medical personnel even privately broker such transplants for patients. As a result, many patients, unable to wait for organ donation opportunities, opt for kidney or liver transplants in mainland China.
For liver transplants, many domestic liver cancer patients, after failing to find a matching donor among relatives, choose to go to mainland China for liver transplants from executed prisoners to save time. Dr. Jinn-Chyuan Sheu, Executive Director of the Liver Disease Prevention and Treatment Foundation and Professor of Internal Medicine at National Taiwan University, stated that the Health Insurance Bureau requires pre-approval for liver transplants. For example, some patients with multiple liver tumors cannot be treated with embolization, and surgical removal is not completely effective, yet they do not meet the Health Insurance Bureau's approval standards, forcing them to seek liver transplants in mainland China.
As for kidney transplants, the demand far exceeds the supply. According to the Department of Health, over 5,000 dialysis patients in Taiwan are registered for kidney transplants, but only a little over a hundred people donate organs after brain death each year. Dr. Po-Chang Lee, Director of Surgery at National Cheng Kung University Hospital in Tainan, pointed out that while the quality of dialysis in Taiwan is above average, international literature suggests that kidney transplant recipients have better prognoses and quality of life compared to those undergoing dialysis three times a week. However, "the lack of a strong organ donation culture in Taiwan forces some patients to take the risk of going to mainland China for kidney transplants."
The question is, how many people are going to mainland China for liver or kidney transplants? Both the Department of Health and the medical community have lacked relevant statistics until the Organ Donation Registration Center was established in May two years ago, which began tracking such cases. It was found that last year, 153 people in Taiwan donated organs after brain death. However, according to the Health Insurance Bureau, the number of major illness cards issued for organ transplants (excluding cornea transplants) was 4,015 two years ago and accumulated to 4,740 last year, with 725 new cases appearing in just one year. After deducting about a hundred cases of living liver and kidney transplants, the Department of Health estimates that at least 450 people went to mainland China for liver or kidney transplants last year.
Dr. Wen-Je Ko, Director of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit at National Taiwan University Hospital, expressed "great surprise" at these figures. He emphasized that the current government policy effectively allows wealthy individuals to openly go to mainland China for transplants and then return to Taiwan to continue receiving expensive anti-rejection drugs covered by health insurance, which is extremely unfair to poorer patients who cannot afford such transplants. He called for "effective management" policies to address these overseas transplant cases.
[2006/04/21 United Daily News]
Source: http://udn. com/ NEWS/ LIFE/ LIF2/ 3272904. shtml