Using organs transplanted from death row prisoners was just a temporary solution to tackle the shortage of organ donations, said Huang Jiefu, a surgeon and a standing committee member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), at the ongoing two sessions in Beijing on Wednesday.

Huang Jiefu, head of the country's human organ donation and transplant committee, speaks at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing, March 11, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

"It was a decision we took because we had no other choice. Simply put, it was drinking poison to relieve our thirst, "Huang said, "It breached the principles of the World Health Organization (WHO) and made China's human rights undertakings the subject of international criticism for many years."

China vowed to end organ transplants from death row prisoners in 2014. In the same year, a comprehensive and transparent voluntary organ donation system was founded in accordance with the central government's decision to govern the country according to the law.

"This represents significant progress in both China's human rights and judicial institutional reforms," Huang said, "it has received wide acclaim from the international community, including from Pope Francis, who found out about the news by chance," said Huang.

According to the surgeon, voluntary donations have made up 80 percent of organ transplantations since 2014. The prospects for the cause have been more promising this year as from Jan. 1 to March 4, about 1,000 voluntary organ donations from 381 people made posthumously to transplantation surgeries, twice the number in same period last year.

"It is a taboo for the Chinese people to talk about death at the beginning of the Lunar New Year, (which fell on Feb. 19 this year). But this Spring Festival is different, as the donations from those who have died have given life to others," said Huang.

"While saying farewell to the undignified past, we are starting a new hopeful chapter in the organ transplantation cause."