A top Chinese health official has revealed that it is likely a record number of organ transplant operations would be carried out this year as voluntary organ donations continues to rise in the country.

According to Huang Jiefu, the head of China's organ donation and transplant committee, over 1,479 voluntary organ donations have been recorded since January this year. Additionally, up to 4,066 organ transplant operations have been conducted.

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There had been concerns that the supply of organs for transplant would reduce drastically after China officially stopped harvesting parts from executed prisoners in January this year. Therefore, the growth in the number of organ donations has surprised experts - especially because of the level of dependence on organs from executed prisoners prior to the enactment of the regulation. In 2011, up to 90 percent of the organs transplanted in China came from executed prisoners.

China had been heavily criticized for procuring organs from executed prisoners. Up to 10,000 organs were allegedly harvested from executed prisoners annually (one prisoner could provide more than a single organ).

China officially implemented a national organ donation scheme last year. However, the program had been in trial since 2010. After the program got off the ground in 2014, China recorded the highest number of organ donation in about half a decade - over 5,000 organs were donated, according to Xinhua.

At least 30,000 people are listed to be in need of organ transplant in China. However, officials suspect that the actual number of people in need of this potentially life-saving operation could be tenfold that number.

Among other things, the high cost of organ transplant operations and cultural barriers have been identified as the main factors preventing people from registering for organ transplant operations.

Huang has demanded reforms in China's health insurance program to cover organ transplant surgeries. He noted that in total over 10,000 organ transplant operations would be conducted this year.

Some critics have voiced skepticism over the implementation of the ban on harvesting organs from executed prisoners.

TagsChina Voluntary Organ Donations, China Organ Donations, China Prisoners Organ Harvesting, China Ban on Prisoner's Organ Harvesting