Fact 1

HOTA regulates the removal of four organs - the kidneys, liver, heart and corneas. All Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents 21years old and above* and who are of sound mind are included under HOTA unless they have opted out.

* From 1 November 2009, HOTA will cover all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents 21 years old and above, who are of sound mind, unless they have opted out. The upper age limit of 60 years has been removed.

Fact 2

Anyone who opts out of HOTA receives lower priority on the organ transplant waiting list should he require an organ transplant in the future. This will be specific to the organs which he opted out of.

Fact 3

Organs that are recovered under HOTA are intended for donation to the common pool of patients on the respective organ transplant waiting lists. It is not possible to specify the recipients of organs recovered under HOTA, nor specifically exclude certain people from receiving organs.

Fact 4

HOTA also provides for the regulation of living donor organ transplantation where a living person donates an organ (e.g. kidney) or a part of an organ (in the case of liver) to another person.

Fact 5

A living donor need not be related to the patient, but the organ transplant must satisfy the two major professional and ethical concerns. The donor must thoroughly understand the nature and consequence of the medical procedures and have given his or her consent. And there must not be any emotional coercion or financial inducement to donate an organ.

Fact 6

Under MTERA, anyone who is 18 years old and above can pledge to donate his organs and/or tissues. A pledge can only be revoked by the person who made the pledge.

Fact 7

Organs such as the heart valves, lung, bones and skin (for burn patients) can be donated for transplantation under MTERA.

Fact 8

Family members of the deceased can choose to donate any or all of the organs suitable for transplant using MTERA, if he had not stated his intentions regarding organ donation before passing away.

Fact 9

Medical care of potential donors will not be compromised. Organ donation will not be considered until all efforts have been made to save the life of the patient, and only after brain death has been legally declared by two well-qualified doctors who are not involved with the care of the patient.

Fact 10

A person who is brain dead is truly and unequivocally dead and will never wake up nor regain consciousness again.

Fact 11

If you are included under HOTA or MTERA, should you die at home, your body will not be applicable for transplantation purposes.

Fact 12

The hospital bill for any organ removal-related procedure and test is not charged to the donor's family.

Fact 13

The number of end stage kidney failure is projected to increase from 25 in every 100,000 Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents in 2004 to 29 in every 100,000 in 2015*.