SINGAPORE TO IMPLEMENT CHANGES TO ORGAN TRANSPLANT

UNCLAS SINGAPORE 001000 SENSITIVE SIPDIS EAP/MTS FOR MCOPPOLA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TBIO SOCI ECON SN SUBJECT: SINGAPORE TO IMPLEMENT CHANGES TO ORGAN TRANSPLANT LAW REF: A. SINGAPORE 18 ¶B. SINGAPORE 58 ¶C. 08 SINGAPORE 978 ¶D. SINGAPORE 965 ¶1. (SBU) Starting November 1, Singapore will implement recent amendments to its Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA), which include a controversial measure to allow for monetary reimbursement for living, unrelated organ donors. The HOTA amendments followed extensive public debate about whether to allow compensation for living donors, which was sparked by revelations that local retail magnate TANG Wee Sung attempted to buy a kidney from an Indonesian man he falsely claimed was a relative (Ref A-C). Organ recipients will be able to financially cover living organ donors for verifiable expenses associated with a transplant, such as loss of income and costs for travel, accommodation and medical care, so long as the reimbursement is not an inducement to donate. While allowing for reimbursement, the GOS increased the penalties for organ trading, raising the maximum fine to S$100,000 (US$71,000) and the maximum prison term to ten years for anyone caught buying or selling organs. ¶2. (U) The amended HOTA incorporates other changes designed to address Singapore's domestic organ shortage. The HOTA will: cover all Singapore citizens and permanent residents 21 years and older, unless they have opted out; eliminate the upper age limit of 60 years for cadaveric organ donors; and allow for paired matching, when an incompatible donor/recipient pair is matched to another incompatible pair. ¶3. (SBU) One of the most controversial aspects of the HOTA amendments was whether to allow foreigners to participate in the reimbursement scheme for living donors. After much public and parliamentary debate, the Ministry of Health indicated that both resident and foreign donors could be reimbursed. It is up to the hospitals' Transplant Ethics Committees to review potential transplants and determine whether the donor has received financial inducement for donation (Ref C). Local healthcare professionals have predicted that the amended HOTA could boost medical travel to Singapore for transplants and enhance Singapore's reputation as a healthcare hub. Dr. GOH Jin Hian, Group Senior Vice President for Growth, Innovation and Strategy at Parkway Health, told Econoff that he hopes the new HOTA will increase the numbers of transplants performed in Singapore hospitals like those operated by Parkway Health. Visit Embassy Singapore's Classified website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/singapore/ind ex.cfm SHIELDS