As Tomb-sweeping Day approaches, a commemorative event was held on April 2nd to honor and remember the country's organ donors. On the same day, an online organ donation website was launched to improve public access to organ donations.

Xiong Siqi has more.

Reporter:

A commemorative event was held on the morning of April 2nd in the academic hall of Peking Union Medical College Hospital to honor and remember the nation's organ donors. The event was organized by the Red Cross Society of China and China's National Health and Family Planning Commission. He Xianhang is the father of He Yue, a young girl who voluntarily donated her organs.

"When she knew that she was running out of time, she told me her decision. Her words touched me. Now I am a devoted organ donor."

An online organ donation registry website, organized by the society's China Organ Donation Administrative Centre, was also launched on the day of the commemorative event. The registry website, register.rcsccod.org.cn, was set up in order to improve public access to organ donations for life-saving transplants and to raise awareness among the general public. Hong Junling is an officer with the China Organ Donation Administrative Centre.

"After entering our website, you can fill in a spreadsheet online and register quickly. You can also fill out paper application forms. All the data will be collected in our database."

Anyone aged 18 and above can sign up to become an organ donor by following the simple instructions on the website. Personal information required includes a donor's name, gender, nationality, ID details and contact numbers. Donors can modify or withdraw their registration via the website and the registry is also open to foreigners.

Previously, people usually had to go to their local Red Cross branches in order to sign up to become donors; an inconvenient process compared to signing up online.

China has the world's second-largest demand for organ transplants. According to statistics from the National Health and Family Planning Commission, about 300,000 patients suffer from organ failure each year, but only around 10,000 could finally receive transplants, resulting in a severe shortage of organ donations. The supply and demand ratio is 1 to 30, while in western countries; the ratio is about 1 to 3. Zhao Baige, executive vice-president of the Red Cross Society of China, said an organ donation system based on the principles of fairness and scientific efficiency is being set up in China.

"A scientific, fair and ethical organ donation system is being built. Relevant laws and regulations are also being improved gradually. Financial support has been increased and the China Organ Donation Administrative Centre was established specially for improving the situation of organ donation in China."

However, questions related to the transparency of the country's organ donation system are the main reason as to why some people hesitate when it comes to donating organs. On this issue, Huang Jiefu, chairman of China Organ Donation and Transplant Commission, said that China is seeking to build a transparent donor system.

"If we want people to trust us, we must set up an honest and fair system. Now we have established an organ donation and transplant committee, which has five work systems, including an organ donation system, organ capture and distribution system, organ transplant system, a registration system, and an organ donation supervision system. Only if the five systems work together can we guarantee that our entire system is fair, honest and transparent."

The online registry system collates the information of donors who intend to donate their organs after they've passed away.