Hong Kong government to launch review of organ donation law after teen barred from giving liver to her dying mother
Tang Kwai-sze has since received part of liver from woman she is not related to, with health minister confirming completion of the transplant
Health minister Ko Wing-man has promised to look into amending the law to allow organ donations by people aged below 18 as Hong Kong tries to improve one of the lowest donation rates in the world.
Secretary for Food and Health Ko on Thursday said the government would launch a formal public consultation in the next two months, responding to strong debate sparked by an organ transplant case, in which a 17-year-old girl was barred from donating part of her liver to save her mother.
Tang Kwai-sze, dying of acute liver failure, is not allowed to accept a lifeline from her daughter, who is less than three months shy of turning 18 – the legal age to be a living donor.
In a new twist to the tale yesterday morning, the 43-year-old mother underwent an operation to receive part of a liver donated by a 26-year-old woman, a clerk surnamed Cheng, who is not a relative.
“She expected she might lose her job after the donation, but she doesn’t mind,” Cheng’s mother said.
Ko, who visited the donor and her family members at the Queen Mary Hospital, confirmed at around 10.30pm on Thursday that the transplant had been completed.