By Ana-Liza S. Macatangay Bicol Mail
The Philippine Network for Organ Sharing (PhilNOS) has lauded the city legislative council here for coming up with the first local ordinance in the country supporting the human organ donation program of the national government.
Dr. Antonio Paraiso, PhilNOS program manager, cited city councilor David Casper Nathan A. Sergio, main proponent of the “Organ for Life Ordinance of Naga City.”
City Councilor Sergio said the measure seeks to provide the public with information on direct and practical medical solution to organ problems by way of transplantation.
The measure is the first one to be approved among the local government units in the entire country.
Paraiso, guest at the FORUM@PIA of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) provincial office here last February 15, this year, said the ordinance will be an instrument to raise the awareness of the community on the importance of human organ donation.
“We already have laws for the human organ donation – Administrative Order 2002-0124 or the establishment of a national program for the sharing of organs from deceased donors and Administrative Order 2008-0004 which contains provisions and amendments on the revised national policy on living non-related organ donation and transplantation, yet the number of those who are willing to donate their organs, including their families, have not yet reached a satisfactory level,” Paraiso said in an interview.
Paraiso said the lack of deceased organ donors has hampered the widespread application of the transplantation. While he laments the fact that only a few had accepted the process, many are still not aware that they can donate their organs to help save another life.
Since 1983, the Human Organ Preservation Effort (HOPE) based in the National Kidney and Transplant Institute has been doing rounds in several parts of the country to disseminate information, but only a few have responded to the call.
Ma. Grace A. Suguotan, RN HOPE-NKTI chief transplant coordinator, said since 2003, there were already 29 successful retrievals of human organs for transplantation in the Bicol Region. It was done for the first time at St. John Hospital in Naga City in 2003.
In 2008, the same procedure was carried out at the Bicol Medical Center (BMC) and at Mother Seton Hospital (MSH), both in Naga City.
In 2009, MSH had four successful retrievals at the Sorsogon Medical Mission Group Hospital (SMMGH). In 2010, BMC, MSH and SMMGH had one patient each. The Bicol Regional Training Teaching Hospital (BRTTH) in Legazpi also joined other hospitals where transplantation was being done in 2010.
In 2011, BMC had six successful retrievals, the highest since 2003 and was again followed in 2012 in three patients. Aside from the aforementioned hospitals, other hospices also served as transplantation venues from 2011 to 2012, including Ago General Hospital in Legazpi City and St. Peter and Paul Hospital in Sorsogon.