The Shanghai Morning Post newspaper reports that China is going to regulate organ transplants.

The newspaper quotes Professor Li Leishi from Nanjing General Military Hospital as saying Monday at a seminar that the Ministry of Health plans to issue organ transplant permits within the year.

According to the report, hospital will not be allowed to do liver transplants on late-stage cancer patients.

The health authority will review hospitals' capabilities for organ transplant before issuing permits. The inspections will cover medical personnel, equipment, total number of organ transplantations performed, and quality of the operations.

The minimum standard for successful kidney and liver transplants is to guarantee patients 85 and 75 percent chance of survival respectively within one year.

Experts say transplant permits will not be issued for life. Hospitals will be periodically reviewed and may have their permits revoked if they fail to meet operating requirements.

Hospitals will not be allowed to invite doctors from outside to carry out the organ transplantations.

(Xinhua News Agency August 9, 2005)