The draft regulations, being considered by the standing committee of the municipal people's congress, or the city's legislature, aim to govern activities concerning human organs and cadaver donations in that city.

"The regulations are compatible with the commonly accepted international rules concerning human organs or cadavers for free donation," said Wang Pengfei, an official with the standing committee of the municipal people's congress.

According to the rules, donors should be over 18 years old and with literal agreement on the donation. A person under 18 can only donate marrow after getting approval from his guardian.

Additionally, donors should not have their lives threatened from the donation.

Moreover, the recipients should be the donors' close relatives.

The regulations require a cadaver organ donor to have arranged a freewill donation before his death or the donor has an oral agreement on his organ or cadaver donation. Authenticity of the agreement should be proven by at least two doctors other than those conducting the transplant.

"The regulations attach more importance to protecting donors' rights, while in western countries there are no special restrictions on donors," said Wang.

Wang explained the strict guidelines have been set up to prevent organ sales.

For instance, a married person can only donate an organ, most commonly a kidney, to his or her spouse after three years of marriage or after the couple already have a child.

"The government has the responsibility to safeguard the donor from being cheated or misled, another reason for the restrictions on the donation," said Wang.

The regulations are intended to rule out malpractice concerning human organs in hospitals and in other medical authorities.

Shenzhen's Red Cross Society is set to be the mediator in the provision of mutual aid to transplant candidates, recipients and their families under the regulations.

Once the regulations are applied, all donations will be registered at the society, which will in turn distribute the organs to matched patients according to their standing on a waiting list.

Starting from the end of 2000, the local Red Cross Society has received a total of seven donated human cadavers and 27 corneas, far fewer than those needed.

"Shenzhen lacks some 100 corneas every year as the city has some 200 cornea transplants conducted during the same period of time," said Dr Yao Xiaoming, of the Shenzhen Eye Hospital.

(China Daily June 20, 2003)