The Vietnamese government has withdrawn a draft law that would have permitted teenagers aged 15 to 17 to donate their organs after death. Following significant public criticism, the revised legislation now stipulates that only adults aged 18 or older may serve as deceased donors.
The 18-year-old threshold for posthumous donation
The Vietnamese government revised its draft legislation on Sunday to ensure that only legal adults are permitted to donate their organs after death. This change follows a proposal submitted to the National Assembly last month that sought to lower the age of consent to 15, provided a parent or legal guardian agreed. According to Tuoi Tre News, the government accepted recommendations from lawmakers to remove the under-18 provision entirely to avoid potential exploitation.
The October survey of seven-year-olds
Much of the public anger centered on a survey conducted in October that sought feedback on the draft law from school children as young as seven. This polling effort raised serious ethical questions about whether young children could possibly comprehend the legal and medical complexities of organ donation. While the source does not specify who commissioned the survey or the exact nature of the questions asked,Tuoi Tre News reported that the move prompted significant controversy and differing opinions among the Vietnamese public.
Vietnam's reliance on living donors since 1992
The push to update the 2006 law on organ and tissue donation stems from a systemic need to expand the donor pool in Vietnam. As state media reported, Vietnam began performing kidney transplants in 1992 and currently leads the region in the number of annual transplants.. However, unlike many other nations that rely heavily on deceased donors, the vast majority of transplants in Vietnam are sourced from living donors.
This reliance creates a precarious medical landscape where the Vietnamese government is eager to increase life-saving transplants while attempting to safeguard donors .. The tension between medical necessity and ethical boundaries remains a central theme in the ongoing legislative updates.
Regenerative tissue exceptions for family members
Despite the ban on posthumous child donation, the revised draft law still permits living minors to donate regenerative tissues , such as stem cells or bone marrow, to their own family members.. This exception applies only when no suitable adult donor is available to the recipient. To prevent exploitation, the process requires rigorous health assessments, professional counseling, and the explicit consent of both the child and their legal representative.
Pham Khanh Phong Lan's stand against child sacrifice
The reversal is a notable instance of public pressure influencing policy in communist Vietnam, where dissent is typically restricted. National Assembly deputy Pham Khanh Phong Lan played a key role in the opposition, arguing that lawmakers should not "sacrifice one child to save another." The sentiment was echoed on social media platforms like Threads,where users celebrated the rejection of the proposal as a victory for public scrutiny.
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