Starting from May 24 Sound of Hope reporters learned that the organs used for transplants come from many hospitals in Kunming area Yunnan Province. Doctors claimed that ischemia time of these organs is the shortest in the country. Organ supplies in one of these hospitals which did not qualify for any ranking, is plentiful. Some doctors from other hospitals accused this hospital of selling organs illegally.
On May 25, a doctor from Yunnan Kidney Hospital told the reporter that, since the hospital started performing kidney transplant operations in 2003, it has completed more than 400 operations. Last year alone, the hospital has performed 153 operations. The kidney source is plentiful and even young donors 18 to 19 years old can be found.
Doctors from the hospital revealed that the organs were from local areas and the time the organs are removed from the donor to the operation table is within six hours.
According to China Health Bureau regulations, only hospitals with triple A or higher rating are qualified to perform organ transplants. It is reported that this Yunnan Kidney Hospital is a private hospital and is not a triple A rated hospital. Three years ago, the hospital offered director Guan Delin–a kidney transplant authority from Huaxin hospital affiliated with Beijing Tsinghua University–a high salary to act as honorary head in the hospital. Together with Li Guobin, his student and the current head of the hospital transplant division chief, they founded the transplant division.
On May 26, the reporter asked Guan for further information. He told the reporter that he had eight kidney transplant operations scheduled on the night of May 25th, all directed and operated by him. Kidneys arrive in batches and there will be a batch arriving the following week.
Guan indicated that he regularly travels to Yunnan kidney hospital from Beijing to perform operations. He also performs operations for the First and Second Affiliated Hospitals to Kunming Medical College. He said he would perform transplant operations wherever there are organ supplies.
As to the organ transplant regulation which takes effect on July 1, a doctor from a hospital affiliated to the Kunming Medical College pointed out that because the Yunnan kidney hospital is not qualified to perform organ transplants, it will be banned and closed under this regulation. Therefore it is carrying out additional operations overtime to reap huge profits. Buying and selling of organs are also illegal under this regulation.
It is reported that the Kunming First People’s Hospital, the First and Second Affiliated Hospitals to Kunming Medical College and the Chengdu Military Region Kunming General Hospital, carry out kidney transplant operations. These hospitals have admitted that kidney supplies from young donors are normally available.
A transplant doctor from the Second Affiliated Hospital to Kunming medical college said that he personally goes to fetch the organ and he claimed that the hot ischemia time is the shortest in the whole country. The source of organs is close by and the organs can be obtained in two to four hours.
A doctor from the Kunming First People’s hospital said that all organs were obtained from donors that were still breathing.
On May 24, a nurse working in the transplant division of the First Affiliated Hospital to Kunming medical college told the reporter that three transplant operations were scheduled for that day. To strengthen the transplant team, the hospital transferred a professor surgeon from the Third Military Medical University who has performed more than 200 transplant operations.
On May 26, this professor indicated that, there would be a batch of organs arriving next month.
It was reported on May 17 in Huaxia Daily that a patient from the Beijing Haidian Hospital Transplant Center went through two kidney transplant operations within 48 hours and the chief operating doctor Han Xiuwu fetched live organs from Kunming in a very short time. Sound of Hope reporter Xu Ling reported in April that a kidney transplant patient’s family from Shanghai Zhongshan hospital revealed that the Zhongshan hospital has two organ supply sources; one is in Yunnan, one is in Hubei.
Friends Read Free