Senator Bong Go hailed the partnership between Chinese General Hospital and Medical Center and Renji Hospital for successfully carrying out the first pediatric liver transplant for a Filipino patient under their joint program.

The procedure involved a two-year-and-two-month-old boy diagnosed with biliary atresia, a condition in which a child’s bile ducts are blocked. The life-saving transplant was performed at Renji Hospital in Shanghai, marking what Go described as “a breakthrough moment for Philippine healthcare.”

The milestone coincides with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines and highlights growing medical cooperation between the two countries.

“This achievement shows what is possible when nations work together for the health and well-being of their people,” Go said. “Hindi lamang ito tagumpay ng isang ospital, tagumpay ito ng bawat Pilipinong nangangarap ng mas maayos at mas abot-kayang serbisyong medikal.”

On 24 February, Go attended the Chinese New Year Thanksgiving Dinner hosted by CGHMC, where he commended the hospital’s leadership and medical team for advancing specialized healthcare services. He also acknowledged the contributions of the Filipino-Chinese community to nation-building.

The senator recalled similar cases in which the government helped Filipino children battling biliary atresia. In 2018, Go met Xia Kazumi Ngo from Taguig City, who later underwent a liver transplant in India and recovered.

“Meron na rin po kaming natulungan noon, taga-Taguig, and it was a success story. Ngayon po ’yung bata very jolly, naglalakad, masaya, malusog na po,” Go shared.

In 2020, during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, the government facilitated the liver transplant of young patient Yazumi Viray in India. Other children assisted included Eren Arabella Crisologo from Butuan City and Dionifer Zephaniah Itao from Cebu, both diagnosed with biliary atresia.

Go also cited efforts to strengthen local capacity for pediatric liver transplantation. In 2020, a memorandum of agreement was signed between the Department of Health, the Philippine Children's Medical Center, and The Medical City. Under the agreement, PCMC identifies qualified indigent patients, The Medical City performs transplant procedures, and the DOH facilitates funding support.

The arrangement serves as an interim measure while the National Kidney and Transplant Institute continues building its capacity to independently conduct pediatric and adult living donor liver transplants. The government has also committed to upgrading NKTI facilities and sending specialists for training at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan.

As vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Go said the milestone aligns with broader healthcare reforms, including Republic Act No. 11959 or the Regional Specialty Centers Act, which mandates the establishment of specialty centers in existing DOH regional hospitals.

He also pointed to enhancements to Philippine Health Insurance Corporation’s Z Packages for kidney-related illnesses, including expanded coverage for peritoneal dialysis and kidney transplantation, as well as comprehensive packages for ischemic heart disease.

“Kung magsasama-sama tayo — gobyerno, pribadong sektor, at ating mga international partners, mas marami pa tayong Pilipino na mabibigyan ng pag-asa at bagong pagkakataon sa buhay,” he stated.