Chinese are 50pc of organ donors since 1997

October 06, 2011

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/chinese-are-50pc-of-organ-donors-since-1997/ 

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — Out of 28 million Malaysians, only 181,534 persons became organ donors since 1997, with 55.29 per cent of them Chinese.

Organ Donation Action Committee chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye told Bernama Online today that number only represents 0.64 per cent of the population.

In 2011 so far, 342 donors underwent successful transplant surgery — 33 of them cadaveric donors.

He said there were 14,037 patients on the wait list for organs, almost all of them (14,013) needing kidneys.

He was speaking at a press conference in conjunction with the 2011 National Organ Donation Awareness Week.

While the Chinese topped the number of donors in terms of race demographics, Indians were at 24.25 per cent and Malays, 17.64 per cent, said Lee.

But the Malay donors are increasing said Lee, with the 6,412 registered in 2011 up to September outstripping the 2010 total of 4,275.

The awareness campaign begins on October 16 and the health ministry is targeting those between the ages of 15 and 25.

Lee explained that early education was important, and that donors should inform their registration to their families.

The upcoming campaign is themed "1Malaysia 1Hope: Donate for Life", and will have walkathons, seminars, an Islamic forum entitled "Organ Donation" and the Friday sermon at the National Mosque will cover the subject.