By: Jet Villa, InterAksyon.com August 20, 2013 3:45 PM
InterAksyon.com The online news portal of TV5
MANILA, Philippines Reminder for those who wish to have their stem cell therapy practice and products accredited: You have until August 31 to register, the Department of Health said Tuesday.
Citing Administrative Order 2013-0012 issued March 18 this year, Health Secretary Enrique Ona said that while the Department of Health (DOH) supports scientific advancement in the field of cellular medicine, its priority is to protect the public from harm rather than give a blanket endorsement of its use or potential benefits.
Those who need to seek accreditation include: health care facilities doing stem cell therapy (with the DOH) as well as companies that import, market, and produce stem cell products (with the Food and Drug Administration, which is under DOH).
Ona said the DOH seeks to regulate stem cell therapy both as a recognized treatment modality and for research purposes.
"This is to allay fears that unscrupulous individuals or groups will engage in unethical practices and subject naive patients to undue harm and unproven medical claims," he added.
Among the DOH guidelines are:
Ona conceded that there are only a limited number of medical conditions in which stem cell therapy may be indicated.
Others are claims that should be taken with a grain of salt, he said.
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REMINDER | Stem-cell therapy accreditation deadline is Aug. 31 - DOH