Pasig City has launched a groundbreaking public-private partnership aimed at making life-saving organ transplants more accessible to residents. The City Government of Pasig, Rizal Medical Center (RizalMed), and The Medical City (TMC) have joined forces to establish the Pasig Alliance for Organ Donation and Sharing (PAODS), a comprehensive citywide program designed to strengthen organ donation efforts.
This initiative creates a coordinated framework to improve the identification, management, and utilization of deceased organ donors across Pasig City. By bringing together public and private healthcare institutions, the alliance addresses the critical shortage of available organs and aims to reduce mortality rates on transplant waiting lists.
Dr. Stuart Bennett, President and Group CEO of The Medical City, emphasized the collaborative nature of the effort. "What we're doing at the city level is very, very important," he stated. "I'm sure it will be an example for other cities that will also take up that mantle. It's not about competition, it's about collaboration."
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto highlighted the personal impact of the partnership, noting the hardship families have endured seeking transplant care abroad. "This partnership is very meaningful, if not historic," Mayor Sotto said. "We have a lot more to do, but more than anything, we look forward to the lives that we will save, especially the children, through this collaboration."
The three institutions will collaborate across multiple areas including public awareness campaigns, clinical coordination, and capacity building. The program will promote organ donation awareness in communities and among healthcare professionals, establish coordinated referral pathways for potential multi-organ donors, and enhance training for medical teams involved in donor identification and management.
Dr. Maria Rica Lumague, Medical Center Chief II of Rizal Medical Center, stressed the collective responsibility of organ donation. "Organ donation is not the work of a single department," she explained. "It is a shared responsibility that calls for unity, precision, and compassion. Let this partnership be our promise that in Pasig City, no opportunity to save a life will be lost."
Dr. Lumague revealed that the collaboration between TMC and RizalMed has already yielded positive outcomes, with three successful liver transplant operations completed with zero percent mortality since the institutions began working together.
To support implementation, each institution will maintain its in-hospital organ donation program while coordinating through designated focal persons and shared systems. A Pasig City Organ Donation Coordination Committee will be established to oversee operations, address coordination concerns, and develop training and monitoring mechanisms.