The Department of Health (DOH) issued a warning to the public on Friday against false information regarding organ trafficking, asserting that hospitals do not engage in such practices.
DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that the organization learned of reports that some victims were kidnapped for organ transplants.
“We have ethics committee review for our organ transplant process,” Vergeire said. “Meron din tayong proseso kung saan kinakausap ‘yung mga donors at iniimbestigahan maigi kung talaga sila po ay related to the patient or not.”
Hospitals and other healthcare facilities continue to practice and support safe and voluntary organ donation, according to a previous statement from the DOH.
The health department said such fake news “sends out fear and discouragement to people to help those who are in need of organ donation and potential donors.”
The DOH asked people to be more watchful for fake messages and only to believe material that reliable sources have confirmed.
“Nakikiusap tayo sa kababayan na alam natin na critical na magkaroon ng organs para ma-transaplant sa mga kababayan na nangangailangan,” Vergeire said.
(We are pleading with the countrymen that we know it is critical to have organs to be transplanted to those in need.)
DOH warns against ‘fake news’ on syndicates harvesting organs
“Pero itama po natin ang proseso kasi baka mas magkaroon ng harm ‘yung bibigyan natin ng organs kung hindi naman po sukat para sa kanila iyong ibibigay natin na parte ng ating katawan,” she added.
(But let’s correct the process because the organs we give may cause more harm if the parts of our body we give are not the right fit for them.)
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) this Wednesday denied the spreading information that there is a serial killer or a group of criminals riding in a white van behind the incidents of pickpocketing and killing of several people in the country.
PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said that the suspects in the past kidnapping incidents are different and have different motives.
“Kung titingnan natin ‘yung circumstances dito sa mga nangyaring sunod-sunod na pagkaka-discover ng cadaver pati na nga ‘yung pagdukot at later on nakitang patay, wala po tayong nakikita na serial killer dito dahil iba-iba kasi ‘yung involved dito at iba-iba ang motibo,” said Fajardo.
Visit our Facebook page for more news updates.