The regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) in MIMAROPA alerted the public to fake messages involving organ trafficking.
According to its public advisory this week, the health department said that there are no hospitals or facilities involved in such malicious activity.
DOH did not specify the malicious message circulating, but it said the public should only donate organs safely and voluntarily.
“The message sends out fear and discouragement to people who helped those who are in need of organ donation and potential donors,” the DOH said.
“We assure the public that hospitals and other health centers and facilities do not participate in such malicious activity [and] continue to practice safe and voluntary organ donations,” the department added.
The DOH also urged its partners to assist in preventing the spread of false information to the general public.
They also urged the public to be wary of fraudulent messages and to rely on only verified information from reputable sources, such as the DOH Facebook page and website.
