Number of new organ donours lower than 2014, 2015

KUALA LUMPUR: Only 19,330 donours have pledged to donate organs as off Sept 30, 2016, despite more than 40,000 donours had registered to donate organs, for the past two years.
This number is low compared to the number of new organ donours, registered in 2014 and 2015.
According to the statistics provided by National Transplant Resource Centre, Hospital Kuala Lumpur, a total of 42, 861 people pledged to donate in 2014 and 49,758 people in 2015.
A total of 362, 450 Malaysians had pledged to donate their organs, since 1997 and it only represents 1.2% of the whole population.
The number of patients waiting to receive organs in Malaysia is 20,664 people, as of Sept 30, this year.
Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, National Organ Donation Public Awareness Action committee chairman said information circulating in the social media is incorrect.
“We have a responsibility to correct whatever is being said in the social media. We should prepare ourselves to rectify false stories,” he added.
He was speaking about children being kidnapped for their organs and other issues, in social media.
Lee was speaking at the launch of organ donation awareness week at national level, themed “Ride and Talk #jombincang” at Bangsar LRT station, today.
The campaign is held between Oct 8 to 15, 2016 and the “street campaign” was held at LRT stations Universiti, Masjid Jamek, Bandaraya and Bandar Tasik Selatan, today. They hoped to register 50,000 donours, this year.
An organ donour, Idris Mohamad said in his view, donating organ is a noble act. “This is because, helping to save someone else's life, is a noble act,” said Idris.
Idris, who donated part of his liver to a one-and-a-half year old girl, said he felt it is “god’s calling”.
The girl turned 17 this year and along with her parents meet up with Idris on Hari Raya Aidilfitri every year.