Wala na tulian sa Ospital ng Maynila

NO more circumcision in Ospital ng Maynila

Last March 13, 2003, the Executive Medical Board of Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center unanimously approved a resolution authored by the Department of Surgery not to hold Operation Tuli inside and outside the hospital effective immediately. This makes the Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center the first hospital in the Philippines that has openly declared that it will not do routine or tradition-driven circumcision anymore.

The main reason for stopping the performance of routine or tradition-driven circumcision is the emergence of evidences from international research that this practice is no longer warranted as it has no significant medical benefit.

With this new finding, physicians who continue to perform routine or tradition-driven circumcision are violating basic bioethical principles and human rights of children. The main bioethical principle that will be violated is the principle of nonmaleficence or in simple terms, ABOVE ALL, DO NO HARM. The main human rights of children that will be violated are the right to totality (wholeness of bodily integrity) and respect for autonomy (consent is given by proxy usually the parents and not by the children themselves).

With the evidences showing no significant medical benefit with routine or tradition-driven circumcision and with the malpractice suits that may arise as a result of continued performance of non-therapeutic circumcision, the Executive Medical Board of Ospital ng Maynila Medical Center decided to approve a resolution not to do Operation Tule anymore inside and outside the hospital.