TACLOBAN CITY — A brain-dead man has become the first successful multi-organ donor in Eastern Visayas, marking a significant milestone for organ donation and transplant support in the region.
The Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC), a Department of Health-run hospital, announced Wednesday that the retrieval included the man’s liver, kidneys and corneas. The organs will benefit multiple patients awaiting transplantation.
The donor had previously secured a card from the hospital’s Help Encourage Recycle Organ (HERO) program, indicating his willingness to donate his organs. The organ retrieval operation proceeded after securing permission from his family.
To honor the man’s “selfless gift,” EVMC medical staff lined the hospital’s corridors in a silent tribute.
EVMC said the procedure was a success due to close coordination with the National Kidney and Transplant Institute, the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines, and the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center, as well as the hospital’s own HERO Donation Team.
“This milestone strengthens EVMC’s role as a leading institution in Eastern Visayas, paving the way for future organ donation and transplantation initiatives in the region,” the hospital said in a statement.