By: Jet Villa, InterAksyon.com July 31, 2013 8:46 AM

InterAksyon.com The online news portal of TV5

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino physicians are now divided over the controversial stem cell therapy.

Doctors from the Philippine College of Physicians, Philippine Society of General Internal Medicine (PSGIM), Philippine Society of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (PSHBT), and Philippine College of Chest Physicians (PCCP) have lambasted their colleagues from the Philippine Society for Stem Cell Medicine (PSSCM) for performing unproven procedures.

The groups also lamented that PSSCM even charges exorbitant fees when it is the patients who should be paid as these procedures are still under experimental stage.

We are here to inform the public that they may be being deceived now. There are doctors who are making it appear that stem cell therapy is a panacea, the cure for all diseases when, in fact, there are limited indication where it can be used for, said PCP Vice President Dr. Anthony Leachon in a health forum.

In a separate interview, PSSCM spokesman Dr. Leo Olarte admitted that there is still limited use for the therapy but PSSCM members just go by the guidelines of the DOH.

We follow the DOH guidelines and what is allowed by the DOH are autologous stem cells or those you harvest from the patients bone marrow, blood, or fats, he said.

Legal action

But the groups fell short of seeking the head of transplant doctors who are deceiving patients.

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DOCTORS DIVIDED | Performing 'unproven' stem-cell procedures vs following DOH guidelines