KUALA LUMPUR: More than 100,000 Malaysians have pledged their organs but in reality only 25 have donated their organs to save lives.
In revealing this, Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said Thursday that this was because many families or next of kin do not agree to the organ donation.
"Most of it is because of religion or culture. There are parents who object strongly," he told reporters after a visit to the National Heart Institute (IJN) where 14-year-old Tee Hui Yi who was fitted with a mechanical heart was undergoing a heart transplant surgery.
"While in Malaysia, we are aware that there is no religion that stops anyone from becoming an organ donor," says Tee.
He also said it was disappointing that from the average of 6,000 fatal accidents yearly, about 1,500 of the cases were brain dead when they arrived at the hospitals where their organs could be used to save lives but the families did not agree to this.
He said the case of Tee was a good example where the family of the 15-year-old accident victim had donated the heart, lungs and kidney.
The lung transplant operation at IJN was done on a 39-year-old patient Thursday.
Dr Chua said 1,200 kidneys, 450 hearts, 200 livers and 700 corneas were needed annually. From the 108,000 pledges up to June 30 this year, 62% were Chinese, 23% Indian and 12% Malays. Women made up 54% of the pledges and 45% were men.
Adding that more publicity was needed to increase awareness especially in having family members allowing organ donation of brain dead accident victims, he said, "If we do not, many on the waiting list will die."
He said the ministry was looking at ways to further convince families and next of kin to allow organ donation.
When asked whether the "opt out system" would be implemented in Malaysia, he said the ministry would continue educating where the system might be considered five to 10 years from now.
This article was originally published in theStar Online.
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