DOH wants Multiply.com to remove photos of pap smear demo

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Health wants a social networking site to remove photos of a pap smear demonstration which was apparently posted without the knowledge of the patient. In a letter to Multiply.com, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III requested for the removal of the pictures which were posted by a user named ‘sallydatgirl’ entitled papsmear_day. The letter, dated April 29, was issued after it was learned that pictures of a pap smear demonstration to nursing students were uploaded on the social networking site Multiply. “It has come to our attention that videos/images of medical procedures are being posted in your websites without the consent of the patient," said Duque’s letter dated April 29. A check into the user’s profile showed that the account’s owner is someone named Sally Mercado from Bauan, Batangas. From Mercado’s pictures, it seemed that she is a nursing student. Duque said the posting of the pictures “appear to be unknown to the patient" which is a violation of the law. “While we give prime importance to sharing of information and transparency of transactions particularly in government, posting of videos/images on medical procedures done on private citizens violates the patient’s right to privacy and confidentiality," added Duque. The DOH also requested the website’s administrator to “not to publish, post, upload, distribute or disseminate materials of this nature." Also called a Pap Test, a pap smear checks for abnormalities in the cervix including cancer which is done by taking samples from the cervix. In a related incident, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has issued a memorandum barring students taking health-related courses from bringing cell phones and video cameras while attending clinical classes. The memorandum, signed by CHED Secretary Romulo Neri on April 24, ordered medical schools to “ensure that the integrity of all activities concerning the exercise/practice of Related Learning Experience are properly supervised and monitored." The order came after videos of a rectal surgery at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu were posted on the video-sharing YouTube. Nine medical practitioners, including some doctors, were investigated for violating ethical practices and were recommended for administrative sanctions. A medical student is being suspected of posting the videos on the Internet. - GMANews.TV