The Chinese Organ Donation Day cum the 8th Chinese Transplant Games is held in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province on June 11, 2024. Photo: Courtesy of China Organ Transplantation Development Foundation

Runners are competing fiercely on the track. Meanwhile, badminton players are showcasing their skills in the gym packed with cheering spectators. The atmosphere was electric as the audience cheered on the athletes in various competitions. This magnificent event, held in Wuhan from Tuesday to Wednesday with 354 participants from across the country, seemed like a typical national sports competition. However, what made this event unique was that most athletes were organ transplant recipients.

"This is my eighth time participating in the event," a 62-year-old athlete surnamed Chen, who received a liver transplantation 20 years ago, told the Global Times. 

Chen said he has won two gold medals and two silver medals for badminton over the years. "The point of participating in the event is to demonstrate ourselves, to show the public that we are no different after receiving organ transplantation. We can compete in sports, and even win," said Chen. He said the event also helps to enlighten the public about "how much you can help other people by donating organs."

To participate in the event, potential candidates need to go through a medical examination ahead of the match, to make sure they are physically qualified to compete on the sports field. 

Since 2017, China Organ Transplantation Development Foundation (COTDF) has been organizing publicity activities for China Organ Donation Day, which falls on June 11 every year. The sports event, also known as China Transplant Games, is among those activities. 

This year's event was co-organized by COTDF and Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science & Technology and Tongji Hospital.

The games this year, which was held after rules on human organ donation and transplantation took effect, carries a special meaning, Zhao Hongtao, the secretary general of COTDF, told the Global Times on Wednesday. 

The rules on human organ donation and transplantation took effect on May 1, 2024. The rules have been refined from the ones on human organ transplantation issued in 2007 to meet the demands of changing situations and ensure the healthy development of the cause.

Refining the rules has improved the regulation of the system of obtaining and distributing organs for transplantation as well as the application of relevant technologies in organ transplantation. The rules also specify the requirements and qualifications of medical institutions and practitioners that must be met in order for an organ transplantation to be carried out.

The rules also improved related provisions on legal liabilities and strengthened the punishment of malpractice in the field. 

The sports competition is a perfect platform to demonstrate the recovery of organ transplant patients and show that organ transplants save lives, said Zhao. He noted that witnessing patients who were once critically ill participate in sports competitions is publicity in itself.

This also demonstrates that the promotion of organ donation can save more lives, Zhao said. 

In late May, multiple Chinese authorities jointly issued a guideline which required that the local governments further refine and implement policies to encourage organ donation. 

It aims to achieve an annual increase of over 10 percent in the number of voluntary registrations for organ donation in the next five years and strives to achieve a donation rate of 8 per million people nationwide within five years.

Zhao mentioned that in addition to boosting publicity, the government is encouraging hospitals at all levels to prioritize organ donation. Donation coordinators and doctors are now more proactive in discussing organ donation possibilities with potential donors and their families, which is expected to increase donation rates.

Room for improvement 

China saw more than 40,200 deceased organ donations from 2015 to the end of 2022, with 120,100 major organs donated. Additionally, more than 6.55 million people have voluntarily registered to be an organ donor, according to data released by COTDF last year.

Currently, China ranks second in the world and first in Asia in terms of the number of organ donations, benefiting numerous patients in need. The COTDF said that 5,628 deceased organ donations were made in 2022, an increase of 6.75 percent compared to 2021.

More than 20,000 organ donations are made in the Chinese mainland each year, ranking second in the world in terms of data. However, organ donors per million people (PMP) is less than 4 percent, which is far from satisfactory compared to the 47 percent in developed countries, Huang Jiefu, chairman of China Human Organ Donation and Transplantation Committee and chair of the COTDF Advisory Board, told the Global Times in a previous interview.

He pointed out that there are not enough hospitals in China to meet patients' demand for organ transplants. "China currently has only slightly more than 70 hospitals that perform heart and lung transplants. Thus, there is still a shortage of doctors and hospitals to meet the needs of the people," said Huang.