The Food and Health Bureau (FHB) and the Department of Health (DH) joined hands again to organise the "Say Yes to Organ Donation" Promotional Campaign, hoping to get more people to transform their recognition of organ donation into actions and register their wish to donate organs to save lives.
 
     Speaking at the opening ceremony of the "Say Yes to Organ Donation" Promotional Exhibition at the concourse of the Kowloon Station on the Tung Chung Line of the MTR today (May 6), the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Ko Wing-man, said, "More than 2 000 patients are waiting for organ transplant in Hong Kong every day. Although the average annual number of deaths in Hong Kong are over 40 000, only 100 to 110 of them are brain stem death and suitable for organ donation. At the end, only 40 to 50 per cent of these patients' families give consent to donate the deceased's organs."
 
     "There is a need for the Government and the community to make more efforts to promote the culture of organ donation. The Government hopes to enhance public support for organ donation and encourage the public to register at the DH's Centralised Organ Donation Register (CODR) through collaboration with community partners including organisations, corporations and schools," Dr Ko said.
 
     Since the Committee on Promotion of Organ Donation, established by the Government, launched the Organ Donation Promotion Charter in June last year, organisations, corporations and schools who have signed the Charter are invited to promote the culture of organ donation first by encouraging their staff or members to register their wish to donate organs, and further solicit support from their family members and help promote the culture in the community. So far, more than 530 organisations have signed the Charter and organised some 800 promotional activities. Through the efforts of various sectors in the community, the number of registrations in the CODR has now exceeded 250 000.
 
     Dr Ko appealed to the community to continue to cooperate with the Government to conduct public education and be creative in promoting organ donation. The DH and the Hospital Authority (HA) will provide promotional materials and support.
 
     The promotional campaign is fully supported by the MTR Corporation Limited. Apart from the three-day exhibition staged at Kowloon Station, promotional booths are also set up at 18 MTR stations today. Signatories of the Charter and non-governmental organisations have provided volunteers to man the booths. Healthcare professionals are on site to answer queries on organ donation and transplantation. Members of the public are encouraged to register their wish at the CODR by completing the Organ Donation Form at the booths or online via www.codr.gov.hk.
 
     Other officiating guests of today's ceremony were the Chairman of MTR Corporation Limited, Professor Frederick Ma; the Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Health), Mr Patrick Nip; the Under Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan; the Director of Health, Dr Constance Chan; the Controller, Centre for Health Protection of the DH, Dr Wong Ka-hing; the Chairman of the HA, Professor John Leong; and the Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Leung Pak-yin.
 
     Members of the public are welcome to visit the DH's thematic website (www.organdonation.gov.hk) for more information and promotional activities on organ donation, or its Organ Donation@HK Facebook page (www.fb.com/organdonationhkeng) to follow the latest information.

Ends/Saturday, May 6, 2017
Issued at HKT 17:12

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