RAROTONGA (Pacnews) — The risks to the community far outweigh the rights of the individual when it comes to conducting pig cell transplants in the Cook Islands, says a New Zealand Health official.
Almost 40 people attended a public meeting with two visiting New Zealand Ministry of Health experts—Public Health director Colin Tukuitonga and adviser Stewart Jessamine—to discuss the proposal by Diatranz NZ to carry out trials on type 2 diabetics in the country.
Last month, at least five Cook Islanders volunteered to take part in the controversial xenotransplantation trials proposed by Diatranz in an effort to find a possible cure for diabetes type 2.
However Jessamine said scientific evidence, as well as the greater good of the public at large, has to be taken into consideration before a decision is made to allow the trials to take place.
Jessamine said “there is very, very little information” on pig cell transplants in type 2 diabetics and there is important that the public is consulted on the issue to weigh up the risks and benefits of the proposed trials. “
Jessamine added, “Benefit may be given to the patient, but we do know that there is a risk of spreading a retro-virus from the patient to the public at large.”
