Davao hospital eyed as Mindanao's kidney transplant center

THE Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) in Davao City was eyed to be the kidney transplant unit in Mindanao as it became the new sister transplant center of University of Barcelona (UB) in 2016.

The Renal Disease Control Program-Davao spokesperson Maria Theresa Bad-ang, in an interview, said UB helped SPMC in the development of the existing transplant center in the hospital as an emerging center supported by the International Society of Nephrology and the Transplantation Society (ISN-TTS).

"Ongoing consultations and expertise in developing Immunology laboratory is currently provided to us as well as the training on Transplant Procurement," Bad-ang said.

The partnership with UB, Bad-ang said, was given to Davao Region because of its fast developing economy, assuring to provide technology and advanced assistance in treating kidney diseases.

As the first in the country to have partnership with UB and ISN-TTS, Bad-ang said it is a privilege as it will increase opportunities for kidney transplant patients in the region and other neighboring regions.

She added four kidney transplant coordinators from SPMC were sent to Barcelona early this year for a two-week training on the deceased donation process, a kidney donation derived from a brain-dead's body with the consent of the family.

"When we say brain-dead, the person only has three percent brain functions and there is no way for him to be alive again," Bad-ang said.

She added that the trained transplant coordinators will be tasked to assess the profiles of those who are brain-dead that were submitted by doctors from different private and public hospitals in the region.

The coordinators will later on communicate with the deceased's family for the consent to use the kidney for transplant.

Bad-ang said that most families refuse to donate kidneys, finding it difficult to provide transplant operations for the patients. However, she said they are holding meetings to get consent from the families.

Bad-ang added SPMC will build a renal center inside the hospital premise later this year to cater the increasing kidney disease patients in the region.

It will provide consultation and treatment for urinary tract and kidney diseases.

"We are still finalizing plans with SPMC chief Doctor Leopoldo Vega. The budget is also yet to be finalized," she said.