Sunday, April 26, 2009

Japanese news

I've sort of made it a policy on my blog to write about things I do and see and what I come into contact with daily. But there is news in Japan that actually doesn't touch my life very much but that I find odd or sometimes incredible. Recently in the Japanese newspapers, in the very back pages of the newspaper, there has been news that Japan is thinking about revising their Organ Transplant Law.

Japan is a very modern country. The technological advances are astronomical and I often think that technology in Japan is farther ahead than in America. BUT... So many things get weighed down in caution, in the reluctance to change, in the "what will people think" lifestyle, in the community thinking.

Did you know that that major organ transplant wasn't legalized in Japan until 1997? Isn't that amazing? I mean, Japanese doctors have studied the procedures and performed outstandingly in medical centers around the world and yet they weren't able to perform major organ transplants in their own country because no criteria had been set for what is brain death. It took 20 years before Japanese laws were revised to establish what is and is not brain death.

From 1997 there have been numerous heart transplants. BUT... The original law stipulated that organs could be donated only if the donor's family gave permission AND the donor's documented will showing intent of donation at the time of brain death was submitted. If either of these criteria were missing then organ donation could not proceed.

The problem is that this means that no children's organs may be donated and no children may receive major organ transplants in Japan. (Babies and children can't comprehend nor sign the documented will, right?) And so every couple of months the Japanese news carries another story about a family who is trying to raise donations so that their child may receive an organ transplant and get medical care in the States or in Europe. Sadly most of these situations rarely have a happy ending. There is too much risk taking a weakened child half way around the world, there are too many people on the waiting lists, the medical costs without insurance are too high.

The law says that no one under age 15 may donate organs which means young children diagnosed with heart disease or major organ abnormalities are condemned to wait. Wait until they are old enough. Wait until they die. Wait until Japanese lawmakers revise their transplant laws.

Research, technology, action. We need a little action around here.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

It made me sad to read of these
laws. It has been so interesting
to follow your blog and learn
about everyday life in your part of the world. Thank you for your
very interesting blog.

Betty (picture circa 1954) said...

Yes, I'm really surprised. It's especially sad for children. I just checked and the first kidney tranplant was done in the United States in 1950. I hope the laws in Japan will change soon.

Allie said...

Oh that is so sad! I hope the laws will change too!

Anne said...

How sad for your country. I hope that they work on revising the transplant laws. We have children here in the USA that get transplant. Garry, my fiancee had a liver transplant two years ago and we had to wait two years for a liver.

Amanda said...

That is so surprising. We regularly get news items about children who have received transplants - in fact the main transplant hospital has a party each year for all the children, and there are so many of them. Their survival rate seems to be so good, possibly because their systems are so immature still and adapt more easily. Let's hope Japan catches up soon.

Sew Create It - Jane said...

It's a tough subject...over here in the UK there is a lot of debate about where it should be that everyone is on the list unless they opt out.

Lazy Gal Tonya said...

I'm amazed at how long it's taken for life-saving procedures to be implemented. I keep hoping we'll go for an opt out law (as the UK is considering).

Shasta said...

Wow - so interesting, and so sad. I wasn't aware of the proposed opt out law in the UK, so I get to learn about two countries today! Thanks.

Julie said...

That is interesting, to say the least! I hope the laws will change to make it more fair for the little ones.

Chocolate Cat said...

A young girl we know died last year while waiting for a heart transplant, she was 14, but at least her family had hope and knew that if a heart became available she could receive it. So hard for parents to sit by and just wait.

Katie said...

I have a dear friend who will be celebrating her
15th year from receiving her liver transplant. She got an excellent match and it is still working fine. I wish organs for everyone everywhere. Keep speaking up.

meggie said...

You are right, Japan seems so advanced in technology, it seems strange to think they have antiquated ideas about transplants to save lives.

anne bebbington said...

What a waste of all those potentially life saving organs - before Nigel and I met my previous partner died after an RTA - we allowed his organs to be donated and as tragic as the situation was at least we were able to draw some comfort from the fact that others had been given hope in the midst of our despair. I do hope they change Japanese laws sooner rather than later