The Department of Health (DoH) is tightening the noose on organ donation in response to a global campaign on organ trafficking.

On Thursday, the DoH released an Administrative Order that allows the establishment of a national program for organ donation from deceased donors in response to the 2008 Declaration of Istanbul on Organ trafficking and transplant tourism and the 63rd World Health Assembly resolution on organ donation.

The two international agreements aim to increase kidney and organ transplantation from dead 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,” DoH Secretary Cabral said.

According to the DoH, patients with kidney failure and are in need of transplant are increasing all over the world.

In the country alone, Cabral said there 9,000 persons undergoing dialysis every year, half of them candidates for kidney transplant. She added that each transplant cost some P1 million.

Dr. Enrique Ona, executive director of the National Kidney Institute, said that at the NKI alone, 120 kidney patients are undergoing dialysis a day. He said each patient needs to undergo dialysis – which costs P2,500 to P3,000 each session – two to three times a week

Currently, there are about 150 to 300 patients waiting for kidney transplant.

Ona added that in cases where organs are donated by dead persons, the transplant must be done within 30 hours after death.

Cabral, who was former Social Welfare and Development Secretary, revealed that the Philippines had become notorious as far as illegal organ trade is concerned.

Reports said people who sold their organs saw the act as a way out of poverty.

Consequently, Cabral enjoins the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Department of Health (DOH) to strengthen the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the RA 9208 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003 which took effect in the middle of 2008.

It was able to stop organ trafficking and the Philippines received acclamations from international organizations.

The IRR of RA 9208 included regulations that prevents exploitation of Filipinos concerning organ trafficking. These include bogus marriages between a foreigner and a Filipina only for the latter to become the foreigner’s kidney donor.

Cabral hopes the AO would further strengthen RA 9208.

“This AO shall set the policies and guidelines for a deceased donor program for our country that will be feasible, equitable and ethical. 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.