Manila, Philippines -- Philippine Medical Association (PMA) President Dr. Leo Olarte said yesterday Filipinos need not go abroad or seek foreign consultation if they want to undergo stem cell therapy to cure an ailment.

Olarte warned of the risks and complications involved in stem cell therapy when improperly administered, citing the case of a government official who complained of feeling weak after the procedure was performed on him by a group of foreign medical team inside a posh hotel in Mandaluyong City.

The PMA chief said there are local experts who are capable of performing safe and reliable stem cell treatments in the country using the patient's own stem cells.

The other day, a lawyer for Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Chairman Antonio Villar faced the media and revealed that her client is filing charges against the foreign medical team who performed the procedure on him.

Lawyer Claire Pagayanan said the lead doctor who performed the stem cell therapy was from Germany while the other two doctors and nurses who assisted him were from Thailand.

Villar reportedly paid 15,000 euros or approximately P1.2 million for the procedure.

"Doctors who perform this therapy should be licensed by the Philippine Food and Drugs Administration. Before foreign doctors could perform here, they should apply for a license from the Professional Regulation Commission," he said. Those who fail to do so will be in "clear illegal practice of medicine in violation of the Medical Act of 1959," Olarte added.

For his part, PMA spokesperson Dr. Mike Aragon lamented how colonial mentality has affected the decision-making process of some Filipinos. "Maybe they are not well-informed about stem cell therapy, or it is the colonial mentality. Many of us think that if it is foreign, it is something good," Aragon said.

In the country, the only Department of Health (DoH)-approved stem cells that can be used for treatment are the patient's own stem cells harvested from his or her blood, bone marrow and fat.

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Stem cell therapy can be done in PH — PMA President