The
Council of Ministers approved a draft law last week regulating and controlling
organ donations and transplants in response to a World Health Organization
(WHO) report which revealed that the lives of patients with non-communicable
diseases like hypertension and diabetes could be further endangered following
kidney transplants, if done improperly.
The draft
law also attempts to curb the illegal and brutal organ trade, especially in kidneys.
According
to a statement released after a Council of Ministers meeting on Friday, the
announcement was made as a result of finding a high incidence of
non-communicable diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes after kidney
transplants, especially in countries that have average to high incomes.
“In order
to respond to the needed treatment of non-communicable diseases, the medical
field has studied research to successfully save the lives of patients. The most
common organ that is transplanted is kidneys,” said the statement.
The four
main complications which can occur following a kidney transplant are
infections, high blood pressure, diabetes and rejection of the donated organ.
Most complications occur in the first few months after a transplant, but can
develop after many years.
The
Ministry of Health press statement added that the imbalance of kidney demand
versus the number of kidneys donated has caused rampant trafficking of the
organ both domestically and internationally.
“Organ
trafficking is globally condemned and curbed by creating laws to manage the
donation and transplant of these organs,” it read.
The six
chapters and 34 articles of the draft law on regulating and controlling organ
donations and transplants was written by the Ministry of Health with the aim of
improving the quality, effectiveness and transparency among donors and
recipients and to improve the wellbeing of citizens who have received donated
organs. The draft law also attempts to prevent organ trafficking.
Health
Minister Mam Bunheng said poverty was one of the main factors to the illegal
trade, with impoverished people donating their internal organs, especially
kidneys.
“At some
point, poverty forces people to sell their own organs for money. The broker
makes quite a lot of money from such an organ trade while the organ seller
struggles to live,” he said.
Prime
Minister Hun Sen told the cabinet in the meeting that authorities should pay
greater attention and be extra cautious when scrutinizing child adoption cases.
The prime minister added children could be sold to criminal gangs and their
organs harvested and sold in the brutal trade.
“We do
not want our parentless children to be victimized by organ smugglers,” he said.
The draft
law was sent to the National Assembly for debate after the Council of
Minister’s approval.
Mom
Kunthear
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