(Department of Health logo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Malacañang lauded on Saturday the Department of Health-Philippine Network for Organ Sharing (DOH-PhilNOS) for setting the new world record on the largest number of organ donation pledges gathered in one hour in a single site on Friday.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in an interview on state-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan that more than setting a world record, she hopes that pursuits like these continue to be kept alive by the Filipino people.
“We hope that the activities undertaken by the DOH will have a lasting impact in terms of raising awareness for organ donation,” Valte said.
The Philippines beat the one-hour Guinness Book Record of 2,755 organ donors set by India in just one site last year after a total of 3,548 Filipinos signed up at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Track Oval in Santa Mesa, Manila between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Friday.
Donation pledges were also held simultaneously in five other sites in the country – San Fernando City, La Union; Bicol Medical Center in Naga City, Camarines Sur; Mamba Gymnasium in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan; Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao; and Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City.
According to Assistant Health Secretary Eric Tayag, aside from raising awareness, the purpose of the event was also to remove the bad presumption of some people regarding the transplantation process.
In the Philippines, organ transplants are speculated to come from the bodies of kidnapped children which, Tayag clarified was not the case in authorized hospitals. (MNS)