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The National Kidney and Transplant Institute's emergency room reaches full capacity on November 24, 2022, mostly due to patients on dialysis, including those with leptospirosis and COVID-19. The medical center advised the public to look for other hospitals as it deals with patient overcapacity and lack of manpower. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

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NKTI-FULL CAPACITY

Rowegie Abanto

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — A nurse of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) accused of masterminding a kidney trade in Bulacan could be dismissed if authorities prove his involvement in the illegal activity, the hospital&#x27;s executive director said Thursday.</p><p>The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) this week <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/16/3-arestado-sa-pagha-harvest-at-pagbebenta-ng-kidney-1637">raided a house in an exclusive subdivision in San Jose del Monte City</a> and rescued nine donors, of whom four already had their organs harvested.</p><p>Two of the suspects arrested in that raid claimed an NKTI nurse — who was not at the house — recruited them to assist the illegal donors.</p><p>In a statement this week, the NKTI confirmed that the nurse tagged in the raid was indeed its staff. The hospital said it was investigating the matter.</p><p>NKTI executive director Rose Liquete told ANC that their employee&#x27;s alleged involvement in the sale of kidneys in Bulacan &quot;is a reason for termination if that will be proven.&quot;</p><div><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Liquete admitted that it would be hard for them to prove their nurse&#x27;s alleged involvement in the illicit activity because it allegedly happened &quot;beyond his office hours.&quot;</span></div><div><span style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">She added that the nurse</span><span style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none"> was </span><span>assigned to a unit that is not involved in processing transplant patients.</span></div><div><span>&quot;If our employee denies it, we will rely more on what the NBI will say,&quot; she said.</span></div><div><span><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/17/doh-reminds-public-organ-selling-is-human-trafficking-1657" id="isPasted">READ: DOH reminds public: Organ selling is human trafficking</a></span></div><div><span></span><br/></div><div><span></span></div><div><span></span><strong></strong><span></span></div><div><strong>ORGAN TRADE A LONG PROBLEM</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The illegal trade of kidneys is a perennial problem in the Philippines due to poverty and the lack of qualified donors. </p><p>The NKTI said thousands of end-stage renal disease patients are on wait lists for kidney donors. </p><p>Because of this, Liquete said that some patients resort to the illegal trade of kidneys.</p><p>Recipients &quot;ask from their co-patients, &#x27;How come this guy was transplanted?&#x27; And by mouth, it can easily spread among them,&quot; she said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WHO CAN DONATE KIDNEYS?</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Those who need kidney transplants often rely on three possible donors: living-related donors, non-related donors with emotional relations, and deceased donors or patients who are brain-dead.</p><p>If a donor is not related up to the fourth degree of consanguinity of the recipient, they undergo evaluation and approval of the hospital&#x27;s ethics committee, Liquete said.</p><p>The donor will undergo medical tests to check if they match the recipient, she said, adding that both the donor and the recipient go through psychological evaluation &quot;to make sure that it is indeed pure, non-payment or altruistic&quot; transaction.</p><p>Liquete cautioned that illegal organ donation is &quot;dangerous&quot; because abuse can happen and that it can be perpetuated.</p><p>Some unhealthy donors could get end-stage renal disease in the future, she warned.</p><div><span></span><span>&quot;We advise the patients if you have no living donor, you enroll in the human organ preservation effort for the deceased organ donation,&quot; she said, noting that they are </span><span></span><span>strengthening the deceased organ program.</span></div><div><br/></div><style type="text/css" id="isPasted">
p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 16.0px Helvetica; color: #262626; -webkit-text-stroke: #262626; background-color: #ffffff} span.s1 {Now if these persons are living, non-related up to 4th degree of consanguinity of the recipient, then they undergo process towards evaluation and approval of the ethics committee.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong></strong><br/></p><p><br/></p><p id="isPasted"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/30/nkti-official-alarmed-by-40-rise-in-new-dialysis-patients-2030">READ: NKTI official alarmed by 40% rise in new dialysis patients</a></p><p><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/6/21/philhealth-approves-increase-for-dialysis-benefit-package-to-p4-000-per-session-1404">READ: PhilHealth approves increase for dialysis benefit package to P4,000 per session</a></p><p><br/></p><p><br/></p></style>

<p>A nurse with the NKTI accused of masterminding a kidney trade in Bulacan could be dismissed if authorities prove his involvement in the illegal activity, the hospital's executive director said Thursday.</p>

A nurse with the NKTI accused of masterminding a kidney trade in Bulacan could be dismissed if authorities prove his involvement in the illegal activity, the hospital's executive director said Thursday.

NKTI nurse linked to illegal kidney sale in Bulacan could be dismissed

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NKTI nurse linked to illegal kidney sale in Bulacan could be dismissed

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 18, 2024 01:35 PM PHT

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