Hong Kong organ donors may need to verify identities, minister says

Hong Kong’s health minister revealed on May 28 that authorities were considering requiring organ donors to verify their identities amid concerns over an abnormal rise in requests to withdraw from the city’s centralised register.

Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau also doubled down on a proposed cross-border transplant mechanism with mainland China, while calling for people “making rumours and false claims” about the scheme to stop immediately, South China Morning Post reports.

“Our good intentions of creating a basic system where you can simply sign your name and register do not appear to have worked,” Lo said during a television interview.

“We hope to guarantee that, whether residents have signed up or not, there will be more verification of their identity … this is something we can improve on in terms of a computer system.”

The minister said it was “quite depressing” that the donor registration system had to be improved in the first place, as it was a way for residents to show their love and respect for life.

“However, we are unlucky that a minority of people with ulterior motives want to destroy our organ donation system,” he said.

Health authorities revealed last week that there was an unusual rise in the number of Hongkongers applying to withdraw from the registry since the government in December said it hoped to establish a cross-border donation mechanism.

Health Bureau figures showed 5,785 withdrawal applications were sent between last December and April, with than half involving people who had never signed up or made repeated attempts to withdraw.

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu last week ordered police to investigate the withdrawals, while severely condemning those he said were “attempting to sabotage” the system.

On Sunday, Lo reiterated that police would target those spreading false information that could have contributed to the wave of withdrawal requests.

“The registration or withdrawal from the organ donor register is completely voluntary,” he said. “All investigations will target the behaviour of people who are making rumours and false claims.”

Among the rumours were that residents would be considered organ donors unless they applied to withdraw and that people would be sent to mainland China as living donors.

Vowing to press ahead with the proposal for a cross-border transplant mechanism, Lo said: “If we were to stop the discussions for a moment … it will be a major loss for our patients.”

“Those who should really stop for a moment are those who are making rumours and false claims online … I don’t think they should even temporarily stop, they should stop doing this immediately.”

Hong Kong’s organ donation rate is among the lowest in the world, with just 29 people donating their organs after dying last year and 23 giving a kidney or part of their liver as living donors.

According to health authorities, patients in the queue for a kidney transplant needed to wait five years on average, with the longest one taking 29 years. Those requiring heart, lung or liver transplants could expect a wait of two to three years.

On the other hand, more than 1,000 organs donated on the mainland last year could not be matched with suitable recipients.