Chinese Red Cross denies cash-for-organs accusation

The Shenzhen branch of the Red Cross Society of China has denied that it only helps arrange organ donations after hospitals pay for them, as claimed in a media report.

A report in Monday's Beijing News said local branches of China's Red Cross Society require hospitals requesting organs to donate various amounts of money in order to acquire donator information. The branches do not disclose to the public how they spend the donation.

The report cited a hospital employee in Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, as saying an average donation in exchange for an organ is 100,000 yuan (16,320 U.S. dollars).

However, the Shenzhen branch issued a statement to Xinhua on Monday to say that it has worked on 25 cases with the General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Area Command, and the latter has so far donated 150,000 yuan to the branch.

The branch has provided detailed expense statements to the hospital, according to the statement.

There is no 100,000 yuan-per-organ arrangement, and donation usage is always disclosed to hospitals on a regular basis, it said.

The General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Area Command responded to Beijing News' report by telling Xinhua that it did not receive an interview from the newspaper.

"When it comes to organ donations, our staff always stick to relevant policies and regulations," said the hospital.

Li Jingdong from the Guangdong branch of the Red Cross Society said Red Cross branches raise donations to help organ donors and their families, but there is no "donation for resources" arrangement.

He added that all organ donation cases were arranged through the China Organ Transplant Response System since its establishment in April 2011.