Wuhan Red Cross gives cancer patient cold shoulder  

红会回应小伙病危欲捐献遗体：人手紧不上门服务

22岁湖北枣阳小伙张琪突患白血病，病危之际致电武汉市红十字会（以下简称红会）捐献遗体，却被告知不提供上门服务，引发广泛关注。昨日，武汉市红十字会表示，待张琪与父母商量后，将全力配合其进行遗体捐赠，让他的爱心得到传递。同时，武汉市红十字会还表示，为方便特殊人群办理遗体捐赠，将考虑开通网上申请等方式。[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.