Why Hongkongers should donate organs and how they can help

It is commonly known that the rate for organ donations in Hong Kong is shockingly low. There were only 5.8 donors for every one million residents last year, down slightly from 6.1 in 2013 – placing Hong Kong among the least donor-friendly places in the world.

A poll conducted by the Department of Health last year showed that traditional beliefs – based on a taboo about death in Chinese culture – and other misconceptions about organ donation procedures were reasons for the low donation rate. Most people who said they would refuse to donate organs said they wanted a “dignified” funeral and to be buried as a full corpse, or were worried that a decision to make a donation would be ­opposed by older family members. The department’s study found some also worried that their appearance might be affected after the donation or that doctors would not try hard enough to save their lives if they were a registered donor. The study also found that men were more reluctant to donate organs than women. Men in their 50s with incomes below HK$20,000 a month who were divorced or lived alone were least likely to donate.

In Hong Kong, almost all vital organ transplants take place at Queen Mary Hospital in Pok Fu Lam, with the exception of cornea transplants, which are usually carried out at the Eye Hospital in Kowloon, and bone and skin transplants, which take place in all hospitals.

Figures

- Over 2,000 patients waiting for vital organs