Voluntary organ donations to exceed 6,000 in 2018

The number of voluntary post-mortem organ donations in China hit 2,999 in the first half of 2018, with the National Health Commission expecting the figure to exceed 6,000 by the end of 2018, reports The Beijing News.

Doctors examine voluntary donor's conditions. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

This would represent a significant rise in organ donations in recent years.

In 2015, 2,766 organs were donated by people following their death. Voluntary donations increased to 5,146 in 2017, up 20 percent.

Along with the increase of voluntary donations, the National Health Commission says the number of organ transplants is on the rise as well. In 2017, 16,000 organ transplant surgeries were completed.

Health officials are also reporting the survival rates for kidney transplants in China now rank number one in the world.

Organ donation rules were changed in China in 2015, mandating that all donations have to be voluntary, putting an end to the harvesting of organs from condemned criminals and the purchasing of organs.