Demand for body organs for life-saving transplants in Vietnam is highbut supplies are low. This is because hundreds of people with terminalailments - or their relatives - refuse to agree to donate vital bodyparts, such as heart, kidneys or liver.

This was revealed byHealth Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien at the launch of the Vietnam Societyfor Encouraging Body Organ Donation and the Vietnam OrganTransplantation Society last week.

Tien said there were about6,000 people suffering chronic kidney disease who needed a kidneytransplant to stay alive; about 1,500 patients waiting for a livertransplant and about 6,000 waiting to undergo a cornea transplant. Tiensaid the failure to be able to use body organs from dying patients,including many road-accident victims, was due to low awareness by thegeneral public.

"Every year, about 1,000 people are brain-dead inhospitals, but their families decline to offer body organs of thedeceased for transplants."

The Health Minister said organ transplant societies could play a vital role in raising awareness of the need for donations.

She called for authorities at all levels, media agencies and civil society groups to participate.

There are 14 health facilities capable of performing organ transplants nationwide.

Many of Vietnam's organ transplant skills had been recognised as being on a par with international practices, Tien said.

Thenation's health sector has so far conducted 1,011 kidney transplants,37 liver transplants, 11 heart transplants, one pancreas transplant and1,401 cornea transplants.-VNA