Over 1,100 patients were waiting for kidney and cornea transplants as of late October, prompting the Department of Health (DOH) to update its organ and tissue donation policy to improve donor matching and expand access to transplants.
DOH Undersecretary Albert Domingo said about 660 patients were awaiting kidney donations as of Oct. 26, while more than 500 others needed cornea donations.
The Philippines has an organ donation rate of only 0.7 per million population, far below Spain’s rate of more than 50 per million, Domingo said.
The policy update will focus on strengthening public awareness, digitalizing donor matching and simplifying registration procedures, including the possibility of registering as an organ donor through driver’s licenses.
Domingo said digital systems could also help match donors and recipients in paired donations, particularly when a donor is incompatible with the intended recipient.
He stressed that organ and tissue donations must remain voluntary and ethical, while the DOH plans to simplify reporting channels to the National Bureau of Investigation to help address organ trafficking.
“Kailangan po kasama sa kultura natin ang pinag-uusapan paano magbigay ng buhay sa ibang tao sa pamamagitan ng ating literal na bahagi ng ating katawan,” Domingo said.
In a separate development, Domingo said the reopening of the Sitio Dueg health station in Barangay Maasin, San Clemente, Tarlac would bring primary healthcare services closer to residents, including members of the Ayta and Abellen communities.
The municipality renovated a former Covid-19 isolation facility for the health station, while the DOH will provide equipment and materials.
Residents previously had to travel downhill for extended periods to reach other health facilities, with bad weather sometimes making roads impassable.
Mayor Roseller Toledo will arrange satellite internet connectivity to support telemedicine consultations with the municipal rural health unit.
A visiting midwife and two local barangay health workers will also help deliver services.
Domingo also urged health authorities and partner organizations to prepare for possible blood supply shortages during Christmas and Holy Week, when donations typically decline.
Following visits to blood service facilities in Tarlac, he said Tarlac Provincial Hospital was nearing certification that would allow it to conduct Hepatitis B blood testing without sending samples to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine.
Domingo called for closer coordination among the DOH, local government units and the Philippine Red Cross to ensure patients receive blood when needed.
“Kapag may nangangailangan ng dugo, wala nang dapat turuan o kaya sabihan na ‘ako si DOH, ako si LGU, ako si Red Cross’—bigay na lang po noong serbisyo na kailangan ng ating kababayan,” he said.
📷 Inovi Fertility and Genetics Institute
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