DOH issues administrative order on deceased organ donors

The Department of Health and Secretary Esperanza Cabral announced the issuance of an Administrative Order (AO) on the Establishment of a National Program for Sharing of Organs from Deceased Donors to better serve the needs of the 9,000 Filipinos developing permanent kidney failure every year. This AO is in response to the Philippine Commitment to the 2008 Declaration of Istanbul on Organ Trafficking and Transplant Tourism and the 63rd World Health Assembly Resolution on Organ Donation for governments to take appropriate actions in increasing kidney/organ transplantation from the deceased donors.

“We seek not only to improve an important service for many patients in need of organ transplantation, but also to assure that the illegal traffic of organs that has victimized many of our countrymen for many years until 2008 will not be repeated”, Secretary Cabral said.

Patients with kidney failure who need a transplant are increasing all over the world. Organ traders have long learned that putting together patients desperate for a kidney transplant and persons desperate enough to sell a kidney can be a very lucrative business. In 2008, in her capacity as then Department of Social and Welfare (DSWD) Secretary, Cabral became aware that the Philippines had gained notoriety as a country where people were so desperately poor that selling a kidney was seen by some as the only way out of their poverty.
Realizing that the organ trade was fast becoming an important aspect of the general problem of human trafficking, the DSWD under Sec. Cabral’s leadership coordinated with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of Health (DOH) in strengthening the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the RA 9208, Anti Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003. The new IRR took effect in the middle of 2008. This move stopped organ trafficking in its tracks and was lauded by international organizations as an important step in the fight against organ trafficking and transplant tourism. These regulations became our protection against attempts to exploit our countrymen, such as bogus marriages between a foreigner and a Filipina just so she can be his kidney donor.
“This AO shall set the policies and guidelines for a deceased donor program for our country that will be feasible, equitable and ethical”, added the Health Chief. “Hopefully, with this program, the international medical community will once again recognize that our country is indeed serious in curtailing illegal organ donation and at the same time strengthen our deceased donor program which has been known to be effective in other countries”, she concluded.