Creation of organ 'sharing' program sought in Congress

MANILA, Philippines - Alarmed by the commercialism, abuses and unethical practices in organ donation, a lawmaker has proposed the creation of a national program for organ sharing from deceased donors.

Masbate Rep. Scott Davies Lanete's House Bill 3228 provides for the creation of the Philippine Network for Organ Sharing Corporation (Philnos), which shall have the status of a tax-exempt government corporation attached to the Department of Health.

"Transplantation has prolonged and improved the quality of life of patients in need of organ replacement," said Lanete, who is also a physician.

Under the measure, "Philnos shall facilitate a national system of promoting organ donation from deceased donors and sharing of organs. It is tasked to serve as the central coordinating body for all deceased organ donation and transplantation activities in the country."

The bill proposes an initial amount of P40 million to be appropriated by Congress for the initial implementation of the proposed law.

Philnos, among other funding-related provisions, shall be given authority to conduct tax-exempt fund-raising activities that will help augment the revolving fund for organ donation.

Lanete said that the traditional source of organ grafts has always been the deceased donors, including individuals who suffer severe irreversible brain injury with the rest of the body remaining practically intact and healthy.

He added that the perennial lack of deceased organ donors has continually hampered the widespread application of transplantation and the imbalance of supply and demand has created the need to resort to other sources of graft, such as living donors.

"Organ donation from living donors, although a noble act of charity, has been beset by numerous ethical issues, and has lent itself to abuse and has been tainted with commercialism in many areas of the world and oftentimes has been associated with human trafficking," Lanete said.