Disclaimer: While I have some knowledge about kidney donation and transplants, I acknowledge that there might be errors in the information presented. Apologize in advance for any inaccuracies. I have no malicious intent and hold utmost respect for all individuals, institutions, and government efforts mentioned in this blog.
Al Roth’s market design blog recently featured a two-day series on organ transplantation in Asia, particularly in China. I recall his enthusiastic discussion about the August CAST transplant conference back in Stanford. As a citizen and a fan market design, congratulations the success of the conference and, I really do appreciate the efforts in advancing this issue in my hometown.
Reading the blog here was a pleasure. One notable highlight was the report titled “First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China: 5-year Experience at a High-volume Donor and Recipient Liver Transplant Center” available here (yeah this is quite verbose a title but the report is definitely worth reading). It reflects significant progress in organ transplantation in our country, which is truly admirable. The report states:
A total of 19449 organ transplants have been performed nationwide in 2019, including 6170 liver transplants and 12124 kidney transplants.
Even more exciting is the central role that my hometown, Guangzhou, plays in the field of transplantation throughout China. This discovery came as quite a surprise to me. While I was aware of Guangzhou’s excellent medical infrastructure, I had always assumed Shanghai would be the pioneer in this area. Nevertheless, congratulations to my hometown!
(The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, where a lot of the transplantation took place, is one of the most recognized academic medical centers in China.)
I aspire to pursue a future in healthcare market design. My connection to this field runs deep: originally, my dream was to enter the medical industry (see this post for detail) and both my parents are accomplished surgeons. Moreover, I want to apply my intelligence and insights to make a meaningful impact. Some well-intentioned individuals in my circle have gently advised me to consider more practical paths during my undergraduate studies (true, totally agree, suggestion accepted). Nevertheless, I am committed, and we’ll see this vision be made into reality.
What drives this ambition, you may wonder? It is my belief that, for anyone working in or around the healthcare industry, whether they specialize in transplantation surgery or work in the broader healthcare sector, we possess a sense of inherent humanity within us. As articulated in the Hippocratic Oath, or the famous 19th-century saying:
To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always.
Or, in a more contemporary context, as Al Roth mentioned in his recent blog post while debating China’s policy of covering funeral expenses for organ donors in ethical terms:
Many people in China and elsewhere might even think that little if any justification is needed for generosity, particularly generosity to families of deceased donors, that is to families who are themselves generous.
Impressive!