KIDNEYS, livers, corneas and other body parts harvested from executed Chinese prisoners increasingly are making their way to patients in the United States, shortening a wait for organs that otherwise could stretch on for years, the New York Times reported on Sunday. According to the newspaper, more transplantable organs are available in China because more people are being executed. This year, 5 000 prisoners or more are likely to be put to death during a nationwide anti-crime drive. Vital organs from Chinese prisoners then are transplanted into paying American clients in China, who return to the United States for follow-up care. The Times reported that while most of the available organs are transplanted into Chinese citizens, a growing number go to foreigners –particularly Southeast Asians, Japanese and Americans, who would otherwise face years of illness or the risk of death if they were to wait for transplants in their home countries. Chinese hospitals welcome foreign patients because they pay as much as 10 times the price local patients pay for the same operation, although the rate is often still cheaper than what they would pay in their home countries, according to the newspaper. -Sapa-AFP
Saturday November 10, 2001