Sunday, February 04, 2007
Health office set to tackle new rules on human organ donations
THE Department of Health (DOH) will gather next week various stakeholders to discuss the proposed new guidelines for human organ donations.
Health Undersecretary Jade del Mundo said they have scheduled a public hearing to get the opinions and comments of the people on organ donations issue.
"The public hearing is just consultation for the possible guidelines that we are to come up for possible organ donations to foreign patients coming to the country," del Mundo said.
While the major concerns is the kidney donations, del Mundo explained that there is no concrete yet on this since part of the discussion would be the issue involving the kidney donation, kidney transplantation for foreigners, the process, hospitalization bills, and even the gifts to be given by the recipient to their donors.
"We are not talking here of selling kidney, it is more of the proposal that if there is foreign patient who needs to be operated and needs a kidney transplantation and we would be able to find a donor, how do we go about the process, so we need this guidelines," he said.
Del Mundo said the group "Concierge Holiday", which was engaged in bringing in to the country foreign patients for medical tourism, made the proposal.
He also clarified that there was no arrangement or initial discussions yet between the Philippines and Japan or other countries that would need kidney donations saying "we have not entered into any arrangement because there was no guidelines yet".
Selling of kidney, particularly among the poor, is rampant not only in the Philippines but in other countries as well.
A study conducted by Francis Aguilar and Lalaine Siruno of the University of the Philippines (UP) Department of Philosophy revealed that in Baseco compound alone in Tondo, Manila, there are already 3,000 men and women who have donated one of their kidneys in exchange for a fee ranging from P70,000 to P120,000.
Del Mundo said the issue of organ selling would also be discussed during the public hearing.
The public hearing that would be held at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Ortigas Center, Pasig City would be participated in by representatives from the Senate, the House, major hospitals, and ethics committees of various medical organizations. (MSN/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star General Santos. (February 4, 2007 issue)
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