Kuala Lumpur, Feb 18 – Public awareness of voluntary organ donation is still low that until last year, only 0.8 per cent of the total population had pledged to donate their organs after death, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam.
He said up to December last year, 243,000 Malaysians had pledged to donate their organs.
“Each year, about 15,000 people undergo haemodialysis. If they do not get treatment, they will need kidney transplants so that they can lead normal lives.
“However, less than 100 cases a year can be given kidney transplants as we do not have enough organs. So it is important that the public pledge their organs to help those in need,” he said.
Dr Subramaniam was speaking to reporters after launching the 2014 National Blood Donation and Organ Donor Registration Campaigns organised by the Young Malaysians Movement (YMM) with the cooperation of Hai-O Enterprise Berhad, in the capital, Monday.
The minister hoped that the public would be more aware and informed, and register as organ donors, rejecting the negative perception that it would adversely affect their health.
Meanwhile, YMM president Sim Chiun Wee said the organisation hoped to collect two million pints of blood and register 1,000 organ donors through 54 campaigns that would be conducted throughout the country from this month until September.
-Bernama
