HEALTH MINISTRY COMMITTED IN DEVELOPING ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION PROGRAMMES

KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Health is committed in
developing a National Transplantation Programme in accordance with the World
Health Organisation's (WHO) Guiding Principles on Human Cell, Tissues and Organ
Transplant said director-general of Health, Dr Mohd Ismail Merican.

He said, WHO, had recently revised the Guiding Principles intended to
provide an orderly, ethical and acceptable framework to cover various practices
associated with transplantation.

"WHO in collaboration with the Health Ministry and Malaysian Society of
Transplantation has organised a meeting to discuss this matter," he told
reporters before attending the meeting here Monday.

Dr Mohd Ismail also said that besides discussing the revised principles, the
meeting would also identify gaps and draft follow-ups to strengthen legislation,
regulations and ethics in organ transplantation and to update on tissue banking
and xenotransplantation (the process of grafting or transplanting organs or
tissues between members of different species).

He added that the ministry had formulated measures to address the disparity
between the demand for transplants and the shortage of cadaveric organ
donations.

"As of February 2009, there were over 11,250 patients awaiting various kinds
of transplant, including kidney, liver, heart and lung," he added.

Even though there was a high number of patients waiting for organs, the
Ministry would not condone organ trafficking or commercialisation as there are
ensuing social, moral and ethical issues associated with it, he said.

Due to this, he hoped the public would continue donating organs and tissues
that could help overcome these problems.

There are over 126,400 pledges to donate their organs and the Ministry hopes
this number will continue to rise, he said.

The three-day meeting which started Monday was attended by 20 participants
from 13 Western Pacific countries.
-- BERNAMA