A senator has called for immediate amendments to the Human Tissues Act 1974, citing a critical shortage of kidney donors that is not only costing lives but also placing a huge financial strain on the government.
Pointing to an estimated 10,000 fresh end stage kidney failure patients needing dialysis every year, Dr RA Lingeshwaran said transplants will go a long way in saving lives and money.
Citing an international report, he said Malaysia spent about RM1.65 billion in 2016 on patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) with 94% of the amount used for dialysis and the rest on transplants.
Based on the trend of ESRD cases needing dialysis in Malaysia, Lingeshwaran said it is estimated that Malaysia will have to spend RM4 billion on dialysis annually in 2030.
According to the National Transplant Resource Centre, 10,239 individuals are currently on the kidney transplant waiting list as of February 2025 – up from 9,455 a year ago.
“By amending the act to adopt measures like an opt-out consent system or simplifying donor registration processes, Malaysia can significantly increase the number of potential organ and tissue donors.
“Laws that provide clearer legal safeguards, transparency and ethical guidelines will reassure families and the public that organ donations are managed with dignity and fairness,” he said when debating the 13th Malaysia Plan in the Senate.
He said a modernised Human Tissues Act can help bridge the gap between patients waiting for transplants and the limited number of available organs, reducing over-reliance on dialysis and improving long-term health outcomes.
Lingeshwaran, a former director of the Sungai Bakap Hospital in Penang, said money saved from dialysis treatment can be used to improve facilities in existing hospitals, train more specialists and spend more on research.
“I must emphasise that this is not just the question of kidney donors. It involves all other organ donations. Just one living donor can save eight lives,” he said.
He added that beyond amending the Act to streamline organ donation, the health ministry must urgently devise a strategy to train more transplant surgeons, given the acute shortage currently.
