Wuhan Red Cross gives cancer patient cold shoulder  

紅會回應小伙病危欲捐獻遺體：人手緊不上門服務

22歲湖北棗陽小伙張琪突患白血病，病危之際致電武漢市紅十字會（以下簡稱紅會）捐獻遺體，卻被告知不提供上門服務，引發廣泛關注。昨日，武漢市紅十字會表示，待張琪與父母商量后，將全力配合其進行遺體捐贈，讓他的愛心得到傳遞。同時，武漢市紅十字會還表示，為方便特殊人群辦理遺體捐贈，將考慮開通網上申請等方式。[查看全文]

(ECNS) -- The Red Cross Society of China in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei province, has drawn fire for refusing to offer onsite service to a leukemia patient planning to donate his body after death, the Beijing Times has reported.

Zhang Qi, 22, has been suffering from leukemia since last year. With his health deteriorating last month, Zhang called the Wuhan Red Cross on Monday and asked about body-donation procedures.

However, an employee on the telephone rejected Zhang's demand to send a registration form, saying he would have to go there in person. Zhang's sister eventually fetched the form for him.

Zhang posted his experience online, which has caused widespread criticism of the Red Cross from media and netizens.

Chen Yun, deputy president of the Wuhan Red Cross, said the employee on the phone was a volunteer, and that only one person is in charge of body donation work.

Altogether 7,000 people have been consulted about body donation this year, and 1,000 have registered, Chen said, adding that they couldn't offer onsite service due to a shortage of labor.

The Wuhan Red Cross apologized and sent the director of the body donation department Luo Gangqiang to visit Zhang Qi in the hospital.

Experts have since called for simplified procedures for body donation, as most potential donators are sick or elderly.