TAOYUAN (TVBS News) — Despite remarkable strides in medical science, the scarcity of body donors for anatomy classes remains a pressing issue in Taiwan.
To become a legitimate body donor, individuals must provide consent before their passing, and their families must also consent posthumously. The reluctance of families to grant such consent persists, which is a part of the reason for the shortage.
The issues if particularly pronounced in standard medical schools. Unlike some institutions with religious affiliations, where religious followers often contribute generously, non-religious institutions, like Taipei Medical University, rely heavily on the general public for body donations.
"Some institutions with religious ties tend to have a more abundant supply, driven by the willingness of their religious followers. However, since we don't have a religious background, our reliance for donations primarily rests with the general public," stated Horng Jiun-lin, a Professor at the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Taipei Medical University.
In the northern region of Taiwan, nearly a thousand medical students across eight medical schools enroll in anatomy classes annually. Astonishingly, an average of 14 to 15 students share a single body donor. This discrepancy highlights the stark contrast between the demand for body donors and the available supply.
Each year, these medical schools collectively require about 80 body donors to meet educational needs. Over the past five years, the annual average of donors has fallen short of this number, raising concerns in the field of medical education.
The shortage of body donors underscores the need for increased awareness and a reevaluation of societal attitudes toward this vital contribution to medical education.