Over 23,000 individuals sign up as organ donors

MANILA, Philippines - Over 23,000 individuals have signed up as organ donors under the “I’m A Lifeline” campaign launched by the Department of Health (DOH) last year.

Antonio Paraiso, program manager of DOH-Philippine Network for Organ Sharing (PhilNOS), said yesterday getting at least 100,000 pledged donors across the country would be a big boost to campaign.

“That would mean so many Filipinos are already aware of organ donation and you will create a community of people who are willing to donate,” he said.

Paraiso admitted that they were not expecting an instant increase in the number of actual organ donors, saying it would happen gradually.

PhilNOS records showed there have been 157 actual donors, majority of whom have donated kidneys, in the last four years.

Paraiso said only a few of the pledged donors could actually share an organ or two.

“Even if we have a million who have signed up and we are now 100 million, the next guy who becomes brain dead will be one in 100 chance to have been a lifeline,” he said.

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) recently signed an agreement with the DOH and PhilNOS to help get donors among its personnel and volunteers and to promote organ donation.

PRC secretary general Gwendolyn Pang said they decided to be involved in organ donation because of their big mass base.

He said the PRC has almost two million volunteers who may also want to become organ donors.

“We want to encourage our people to make blood donation a way of life and there are also other needs, not just only blood, when it comes to lifeline. There are people who need organs,” she said.

Pang said the PRC also intends to include organ donation in its training program and advocacy campaigns.

“We will not be talking only about blood and life-saving skills training but we will also include organ donation in our advocacy. We want people to know that when they no longer need the organs, someone else will need them and it will be a big help,” she said.

PRC chairman Richard Gordon said there are still few Filipino organ donors compared to other countries.

“The Red Cross is committed to make sure all our volunteers, all our staff will become a volunteer organ donor…There are people out there who care and there are people who will readily provide an organ when their loved ones need it,” he said.