AMID the rising number of individuals diagnosed with renal failure who are undergoing dialysis, a nephrologist from Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) is seeking the help of the City Government in passing an Organ Donation Ordinance to save more lives.
SPMC organ procurement specialist Dr. Maria Theresa Bad-ang, in a press briefing yesterday, September 3, at The Royal Mandaya Hotel said that in SPMC, from January to June, recorded 280 individuals who are eligible as donors or those who are already brain dead.
Organ donation is the process of surgically removing an organ or tissue from one person (the deceased donor) and placing it into another person. Transplantation is necessary because the recipient’s organ has failed or has been damaged by disease or injury.
The SPMC Human advocate and Retrieval Effort (Share) is the Zone 4A Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) mandated by the Department of Health to implement the national program for the promotion of deceased organ donation in its area of responsibility.
This move is governed by Republic Act No. 7170 or the Organ Donation Act of 1991, An Act of Authorizing the Legacy of Donation of All of Part of a Human Body after Death for Specified Purposes.
In the 2016 data, Davao region was ranked third with the most number of dialysis patients in the country and Davao City topped the list in Davao region with most cases.
“SHARE would like to promote the culture of donation among Dabawenyos, that there is still life after death. We the SHARE seek the help of the City Government of Davao to promulgate an ordinance and appropriating funds therefore to promote public awareness regarding deceased organ donor,” she said.
Bad-ang said that 1,500 Dabawenyos are going to start on dialysis every year and it is going to go on forever unless there is organ transplant. Currently there are 3,000 patients in region 11 on dialysis and each person spent P300,000 to P400,000 a year for dialysis.
Last year, there were only six donors out of 108 million Filipinos who donated their organs.
“We have to develop a culture of donation among Filipinos specifically sa mg Dabawenyos. Yesterday, we are so lucky that we’re invited by councilor Pilar Braga to initiate the Organ Donation Ordinance now it’s on first reading organ donation for brain dead,” she added.
The World Health Organization (WHO) targets 10 donors per million population in a country. Based on their data, in the Philippines right now, there are around 40,000 patients who are on dialysis.
“You have to be aware because it’s the society that will benefit. It’s not us the doctors, only the patient. Your loved ones might be the next patient or you, yourself,” she said.