DAVAO CITY: The Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) and Davao Doctors Hospital (DDH) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on Monday to promote organ and tissue donation from deceased individuals in the region. The partnership aims to raise awareness about the life-saving potential of deceased organ donation while streamlining the process for identifying and managing donors in Davao City and the rest of Mindanao. According to Philippines News Agency, the initiative is part of a strategic effort to improve patient management and save more lives through the donation of vital organs and tissues from deceased individuals. Dr. Ma. Theresa Bad-ang, a nephrologist and head of SPMC's Human Advocate and Retrieval Effort (SHARE), emphasized the importance of the agreement in an interview, highlighting that it will facilitate the collaboration between the two hospitals by sharing resources, expertise, and best practices. The agreement allows both institutions to efficiently coordinate the identification, retri eval, and management of organ and tissue donations. They have committed to adhering to ethical standards, legal requirements, and medical protocols to ensure the well-being of both donors and recipients, according to Dr. Bad-ang. The initiative is timely as the country faces a growing need for organ donors, driven by the increasing number of dialysis patients. Department of Health data indicates that around 90,000 Filipinos were undergoing dialysis treatment in 2022. In the Davao region alone, there are approximately 2,400 patients, with an annual increase of 12 to 15 percent. This partnership represents a broader effort to meet the critical demand for organ donors and improve patient outcomes through organ transplantation, addressing a significant healthcare challenge in the region.