The Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center (CGHMC) celebrated Wednesday the successful pediatric liver transplant of a Filipino infant at Renji Hospital in Shanghai, China.

The two-year-old patient, who suffers from biliary atresia, underwent the procedure on 11 February with his father serving as the liver donor. Dr. Xia Qiang, liver transplant surgeon and president of Renji Hospital, led the operation.

Reports said that the patient, known as “Baby Nieco,” and his father remained at Renji Hospital for observation before returning to the Philippines on 11 March to continue recovery at CGHMC.

CGHMC president and CEO Kelly Sia said the landmark achievement resulted from a Medical Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding signed last year between CGHMC and Renji Hospital.

“A year ago, our vision of forming a medical alliance with Renji Hospital was driven by the goal of elevating our medical professionals’ expertise in liver transplantation,” Sia said in a speech.

“This partnership allows us to share knowledge, exchange insights into the latest advancements, and ultimately work towards reducing childhood mortality, minimizing complications, and improving outcomes for liver transplant patients by enhancing access to organ donors. Today, we proudly witness the fruits of that collaboration,” he added.

Sia cited that the milestone “marks the dawn of accessible and affordable liver transplants” in the Philippines.

“This achievement is only the beginning of many medical partnerships to come,” Sia said.

Meantime, Department of Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa lauded the specialists of CGHMC and Renji Hospital, calling the collaboration a “monumental feat” in healthcare.

“This not only brings hope to children suffering from biliary atresia but also signifies a new era in Philippine healthcare,” Herbosa said.

Herbosa said that live liver transplant procedures in the Philippines “have been relatively scarce.” From 1988 to 2019, only 59 procedures were performed nationwide. Of those, 21 patients survived, reflecting a survival rate of about 56 percent.