Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso on Friday accepted the donation of two specialized neonatal ventilators for the Ospital ng Maynila, a move officials say will save lives and ease the financial burden on impoverished families.

The digital ventilators, donated by the Rotary Club of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in partnership with South Korean Rotary clubs, are specifically designed for premature infants with respiratory illnesses.

Prior to the donation, the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit lacked dedicated neonatal machines, forcing staff to use adult ventilators or requiring parents to rent external units.

“Many babies will be saved by this, especially those born premature or with lung complications,” Domagoso said during a turnover ceremony at City Hall’s Bulwagan Villegas and stressed that the equipment is a critical addition for the city’s poorest residents.

Dr. Reynand Jay Canoy, grants management chair for the Rotary Club of AIM, noted that renting a ventilator costs families approximately P8,500 per day. For a 30-day stay, costs can exceed P100,000 — a staggering amount for many patients.

The donation was made possible through a Rotary Foundation Global Grant involving a coalition of sponsors, including the Rotary Clubs of Onyang-Oncheon and Onyang-Mogryeon from South Korea, as well as several local chapters.

“Collaboration is really what made this project happen,” said Adam Andrew Ong, president of the Rotary Club of AIM. “Filipinos are very generous and always want to help; sometimes they just need to be given an avenue.”

Meantime, Hospital director Dr. Grace Padilla said the machines are “much needed” by the pediatric ward. The digital units are calibrated for the delicate lungs of newborns and are expected to serve about 100 neonatal patients annually. The donation includes a one-year warranty and maintenance training for hospital staff.

While the ventilators address a primary crisis, hospital administrators noted that the facility still requires additional equipment, including transport incubators and arterial blood gas machines, to fully modernize its neonatal care.