At the forefront of liver transplants, Fan and his team of four surgeons have been putting in almost 100 hours each week, responding to emergency calls at the territory's only center specializing in liver procedures and transplants.

Fan, dubbed the "father of liver transplants" in Hong Kong's medical profession, shocked the public and colleagues when he resigned as chief surgeon from Hong Kong University in October. But, two weeks later, he decided to stay on following high-level lobbying by the university and the Hospital Authority.

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Fan, with almost two decades of experience in liver transplantation, hopes that, in future, Hong Kong will adopt more Westernized views on organ donation. He pointed out that even blood donations were not a widely accepted practice when it was first promoted by the Red Cross in the 1960s.

Although educating the public about the cause requires frequent campaigning and tremendous energy and time, Fan believes the concept of burying the dead intact can be changed in Hong Kong.

The demand for liver transplants and procedures has steadily increased in recent years, with almost 1,400 new cases of liver cancer annually.

Fan attributes the increase to the older generation - more specifically men in the prime of their lives, who were infected by hepatitis B through excessive drinking and smoking habits.

In fact, Fan said that 10 percent of the current population are carriers of hepatitis B, with various degrees of mild liver disease.

Fan's team of surgeons, at present, performs almost 60 operations each year, with only 20 transplants from individuals pronounced brain dead and 40 transplants from live donors.

Although live donors may psychologically be happy, they suffer during the first three months after surgery, mostly unable to work and experiencing pain from the ordeal.

It is an act of sacrifice, Fan adds.

But only one-third of family members are actually suitable live donors. More and more patients are resorting to donors in the mainland, Fan says, adding that the worsening ratio of waiting recipients to actual donors has left many desperately seeking other methods of obtaining transplants.

However, 25 percent of patients who receive transplants in the mainland return home with even worse complications, he says.

The chances of patients receiving transplants in the mainland are 50 percent, with the other half usually put on the waiting list for suitable donors.

Not only do they come back with deteriorating health, but they also put a strain on resources here, he said, noting that patients spend up to two months in the intensive care unit, which costs about HK$10,000 per day.

"If we have more donors in Hong Kong, then patients won't have to travel to the mainland for transplants, which can ultimately help save costs spent on restoring their health," Fan said.

However, the practice of liver transplants in the mainland has been improving in more recent years.

Fan says the complexity of procedures and demanding hours have not made surgery a more desirable field of specialization for younger doctors. It takes a tremendous amount of sacrifice and training to be able to work independently, he says.

Fan, who became chief of the liver transplantation division at Queen Mary Hospital in 1989, said that watching patients survive and recover from their illnesses has been the most rewarding experience in his life.

In fact, he revoked his resignation to continue serving the public as chief of the division.

Josephine Ho Kwai-ming, a full- time teacher and volunteer at the Lions Club in Central, says fighting for causes such as organ donation is an act that benefits the larger community of Hong Kong.

"We believe that by helping one person, we're actually helping families, and helping communities," said Ho, who took part in the walkathon sponsored by the Hong Kong Liver Foundation towards the end of last month.

Ho, who has spent almost 20 years in volunteer work, also said that the demand for organ donations is soaring, forcing Hong Kong to source corneas, for example, for eye transplants from Sri Lanka.

"We've been able to sustain our eye banks and provide cornea transplants for patients through overseas connections," Ho said.

Bernard Chan, a lawmaker representing the insurance constituency, has been passionately advocating organ donation since his return from the United States, where pledges for the cause are usually made in applications for driving licenses.

Public awareness is only available when promotions are held, said Chan, who has repeatedly raised the issue in the Legislative Council.

"If we can make signing up easier and more accessible, more people will oblige," he said.

According to Chan, the SAR has begun creating an electronic means of signing up as organ donors, and he believes more efficient methods will be developed by the government.

As chairman of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service, Chan says he will see to it that the government upholds its appeal to provide a database of organ donors throughout the territory.