MANILA, Philippines - Health officials in the Philippines
are encouraging people to register as voluntary organ donors upon their
death, for the benefit of patients who need organ transplants.
Antonio Paraiso, of the
Philippine Organ Donation and Transplantation Programme, which falls
under the country’s Health Department, said the organisation has six
scheduled simultaneous registration drives in six different locations on
February 28.
The registrations will be
held in San Fernando City, La Union and Tuguegarao, both in northern
Luzon; Naga City in southern Luzon; Polytechnic University of the
Philippines in Manila; Memorial Circle in suburban Quezon City; and
Davao City in the southern Philippines, Paraiso said.“We are raising awareness among people so that they can officially register as organ donors” said Paraiso, adding the announcement was made more than a week before the event to attract large numbers of participants.
- The organisation is aiming to set a Guinness World Record of the highest number of people joining a campaign for voluntary organ donation, said Paraiso, adding that the awareness campaign is meant to stop the sale of internal organs in the Philippines.
The health department
actively discourages the selling and trafficking of internal organs. It
has promoted instead voluntary donation of organs.
In recent
times, the Philippines has become a medical tourism destination for
foreigners in need of kidney transplants, due to the rising number of
poor people selling theirs.
For a while, the rising
number of foreigners who could offer big money for kidney
transplantation became detrimental to residents in need of the same
operation.
How, Congress passed a law
preventing transplant operation with paid organs. Organ donors must be
voluntary or relatives of patients in need of transplant operation under
the law.
Source: Agencies
Source: Agencies
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