China halts organ sales

The good news: China is banning the sale of human organs, a widespread practice in that country that has gone unregulated. The bad news: the ban doesn't go into effect until July 1 along with regulations governing medical standards for transplants.

Exerpt from a AFP report:

Only China's top ranked hospitals with a medical ethics committee and a proven ability to carry out transplant operations will be allowed to conduct the surgery.

The ministry also threatened to revoke hospitals' licenses if patients did not survive a certain number of years.

"Medical institutions and doctors in this field who violate... laws and regulations in conducting transplant operations will be punished according to relevant laws and regulations," according to the guidelines.