THE state-run Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP) on Thursday became the first government health facility to be accredited to provide stem cell services in the country.
In an advisory, the Department of Health (DOH) added one more facility among those allowed to give stem cell treatment to the public after previously approving three private health establishments.
In particular, the DOH–Health Facilities and Services Regulatory Bureau (HFSRB) said the Lung Center of the Philippines – Molecular Diagnostics and Cellular Therapeutics Laboratory has been approved to provide stem cell services.
Last year, the DOH already accredited The Medical City – Institute of Personalized Medicine; Asian Stem Cell Institute; and Makati Medical Center – Cellular Therapeutics Center.
The Certificate of Accreditation, the DOH said, means that only the four health facilities are legally allowed to offer stem cell therapies allowed in the country.
Earlier, the DOH and the FDA already said that the only stem cell treatment allowed in the country are hematopoietic stem cell transplantation; corneal resurfacing with limbal stem cells; and skin regeneration with epidermal stem cells.
"Please be informed the DOH of any person/s or institution/s administering stem cells without accreditation or using stem cells for other indications not yet approved by the FDA," said the advisory.
Stem cell therapy is a type of intervention strategy that introduces new stem cells into damaged tissue in order to treat disease or injury as well as for cosmetic purposes. (HDT/Sunnex)