Kuala lumpur: The Parliamentary Special Select Committee (JKPK) on Health has recommended a comprehensive reform of the national organ donation and transplant system, including the enactment of a new law to replace the Human Tissues Act 1974 and the strengthening of the National Transplant Resource Centre (NTRC).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, its chairman, Suhaizan Kaiat, stated that the recommendations were detailed in the Committee's Report on the Reform of the National Organ Donation and Transplant System. This report was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat today following an extensive study covering governance, implementation, expertise development, funding, infrastructure, and public awareness of organ donation.
He emphasized that piecemeal improvements were insufficient and that a comprehensive reform was necessary to ensure the system could meet both current needs and future challenges.
Among the key recommendations is the drafting of a new act to replace the Human Tissues Act 1974. This includes provisions to recognize brain death and donation after circulatory death, introduce the concept of national organ ownership, and strengthen regulation of overseas transplant activities.
Suhaizan highlighted that the NTRC should be bolstered as the main coordinator of policies, clinical standards, training, and data management for organ donation and transplantation at the national level. This would involve establishing a real-time data monitoring and organ allocation system to ensure transparency and continuous auditing.
The committee also suggested that the Health Ministry and Finance Ministry create a special fund for the organ donation program. This fund would assist low-income patients with the costs of long-term immunosuppressive medication, follow-up treatment, and surgery in private hospitals, if necessary.
Bank Negara Malaysia has been urged to explore the implementation of a Social Takaful for Organ Pledgers scheme as a social protection incentive for living organ donors and the families of deceased donors.
Additionally, the committee recommended enhancing the organ donor registration system by integrating it with MySejahtera, driving licenses, and identity cards to facilitate registration.
Suhaizan noted that the committee also advocated for stronger human capital development and career pathways for transplant specialists. It called for the recognition of transplantation as a national priority area, fixed annual budget allocations, and the expansion of transplant centers nationwide.
As of June 30, a total of 3,657 transplant procedures had been conducted in the country, while 10,170 patients remained on the waiting list for organs from deceased donors. The committee found that more than 1,100 potential organ donations could not be realized due to the lack of family consent, underscoring the need to enhance public understanding and confidence in the national organ donation system.
Currently, over 55,000 patients depend on dialysis treatment, with this figure projected to exceed 104,000 by 2040. Dialysis treatment costs nearly RM2 billion annually. "The proposed reform is not merely aimed at increasing organ donations or the number of transplant procedures performed each year, but at building a system that is more efficient, better organized, more trusted by the public, and better able to meet patients' needs nationwide," Suhaizan stated.