By GENALYN D. KABILING

Dont be fooled by stem cell therapy promising cure-for-all treatment in unauthorized facilities.

Malacaang issued this warning to the public following reports of deaths arising from complications in alleged unsafe stem cell treatment. Dismayed at the false hope given by unscrupulous medical practitioners to patients, Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Abigail Valte reminded the public to instead seek proper treatment in hospitals accredited by the Department of Health (DoH).

According to the DoH, stem cell treatment is geared toward for a certain purpose. Any offer for cure-all treatment is fake. There is no treatment that will cure all of your ills, she said in Filipino during a Palace press briefing.

Valte warned the public against the treatment that uses animal or plant-based stem cells which is prohibited in the country. The autologous treatment, which harvests stem cells from the patients own system, on the other hand, must still have clearance from the Food and Drug Administration.

To protect the lives of Filipino patients, Valte said the health department will soon issue an administrative order imposing tighter regulations on stem cell treatment offered by hospitals.

By August 31, hospitals must file their accreditation requirements so they can continue to offer stem cell treatment, she added.

Let me repeat that the hospitals, not the doctors or the individuals, are the ones accredited. The stand-alone clinics also cannot register with the DoH. Thats our warning to the public, she said. Let us not be fooled. Only hospitals are accredited to facilitate stem cell treatments, she added.

Valte also encouraged the public to report any illegal medical treatment offered by unauthorized individuals or facilities. She said the health department can suspend the license of erring medical practitioners or close down illegal medical centers.

Health authorities have reportedly started a probe into the deaths of three politicians to determine if they died due to illness or complications from animal-based stem cells they had received abroad.

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Warning vs stem cell treatment