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The Centralised Organ Donation Register (CODR) was launched today (November 24), making the organ donation system more user-friendly to the public and more effective in realising donors' wish to help other people after they have passed away.
Speaking at the launching ceremony of the CODR today, the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, said organ donation saves the lives of patients who are waiting for organ transplant. The CODR provides an easily accessible means for individuals to voluntarily register their wish for organ donation.
"We cherish the noble act of organ donation and will consider ways to promote greater societal recognition of it," Dr Chow said.
To encourage wider support from the public, principal officials including the Chief Executive, the Chief Secretary, the Financial Secretary, the Secretary for Justice and the Secretary for Food and Health have taken the lead in signing organ donation cards and registering their wishes through the CODR.
"The setting up of the CODR is only part of our promotion efforts on organ donation. The ultimate goal is to create an atmosphere in society which recognises voluntary organ donation as something commendable and should be the norm rather than the exception," Dr Chow said.
Also officiating at the ceremony, the Director of Health, Dr P Y Lam, said that for people with organ failure, organ donation was an irreplaceable source of life and the greatest gift to their family.
Results of the Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance Study carried out by the Department of Health (DH) in 2007 indicated that about 70% of the respondents were willing to donate their organs after death, compared to 28.5% and 36.8% in 1992 and 1994 respectively.
Dr Lam said that about 70% of the respondents who objected to their family members donating organs would not do so if they knew in advance the wish of their deceased family members to donate organs.
"As such, that decision to donate one's organs after death should be made known to one's family so that the wish to save other's lives can be respected," he said.
The CODR enables the health authorities to identify prospective organ donors accurately even if they do not bring along their organ donation cards or inform their family members in advance.
From now on, people who wish to donate their organs after death can register by filling in the organ donation registration form online or sending it to the DH by mail or by fax. People can also amend or withdraw their registration through the DH.
Dr Lam added that apart from the CODR, other means of organ donation registration were still in use.
"A newly designed and more durable organ donation card has also been produced to facilitate prospective organ donors, and an extensive publicity campaign will soon be launched to promote the CODR in the community," Dr Lam noted.
Echoing Dr Lam's remarks, the Chairman of the Hospital Authority (HA), Mr Anthony Wu, said the CODR was to make it more convenient for prospective donors to voluntarily register their wish and for such a wish to be more readily realised.
"Transplant co-ordinators can swiftly make arrangements for organ donation so that more patients can benefit," Mr Wu added.
The President of Hong Kong Medical Association (HKMA), Dr Tse Hung-hing, who also attended the ceremony, said the HKMA welcomed and supported the development of CODR.
Dr Tse said information of some 45,000 organ donors kept and computerised by the HKMA since 1994 would be transferred to the CODR upon the consent of the donors concerned through HKMA's initiative entitled "Operation Man Shing".
He said that HKMA's registry system would still be running for at least one year but called on members of the public to register at the CODR instead of the HKMA registry.
"However, HKMA will continue its organ donation campaign in the community in the coming years," Dr Tse said.
Organ donation cards and registration forms can be obtained at public and private hospitals, Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Donation Centres, Health Centres of the DH, premises of the HKMA, tertiary academic institutions, various non-government organisations and private companies.
Completed registration forms can be sent to the CODR System Administrator, Department of Health, 21st floor, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen's Road East, Wan Chai, or by fax to 2127 4926.
Members of the public can submit the registration forms online by visiting the Organ Donation website, www.organdonation.gov.hk, and browsing this website or calling the 24-hour health education hotline at 2833 0111 for more information about organ donation.
Ends/Monday, November 24, 2008
Issued at HKT 18:36
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