There are moments in medicine that remind us why we do what we do. One of those moments came this year when a 14-month-old boy became the first patient to undergo a liver transplant through The Medical City’s new partnership with Rizal Medical Center. His mother was his living donor. The donor surgery was performed using a fully robotic technique, the first of its kind in the Philippines. Two days later, she was walking. Weeks later, she was holding her child again, with a future that had once felt uncertain now within reach.

That single moment showed what is possible for Philippine healthcare. It proved that we have the skill, the technology, and the commitment to deliver outcomes at the highest level. It showed that Filipino families should not have to leave the country or carry the heavy burden of cost and separation to receive the care they deserve.

Liver transplantation is one of the most complex procedures in medicine. It requires a highly specialized team, a fully equipped operating theater, and seamless coordination between surgeons, anesthesiologists, ICU physicians, nurses, and support staff. For years, Filipino patients in need of this procedure have faced a painful choice: endure months of fundraising and fly overseas, or go without the operation altogether. For many families, that choice has meant debt, lost income, and separation from loved ones during one of the hardest moments of their lives.

This is why building local capacity matters. When we bring these procedures home, we do more than save lives; we keep families together. Parents do not have to spend weeks abroad, away from their children. Follow-up care happens with the same doctors who performed the surgery, ensuring continuity and safety. And the economic burden is dramatically reduced when families are not paying for airfare, lodging, and the hidden costs of being far from home.

At The Medical City, we are committed to changing the story for these patients. Our partnership with Rizal Medical Center was designed to make liver transplantation more accessible and affordable. Since we began this collaboration earlier this year, we have successfully completed three liver transplants, each one a life saved and a family kept whole. We have invested in robotic surgery to ensure precision, trained multidisciplinary teams to handle complex cases, and worked with suppliers and government agencies to bring down the overall cost of care.

Many of the patients who need liver transplantation are children. For their parents, the difference between treatment abroad and treatment here is not just cost; it is whether their child grows up surrounded by siblings, grandparents, and friends. It is whether a critically ill child can be treated in the comfort of their own language and culture, with their family by their side.

Every successful transplant is a message of hope. It tells families across the country that world-class treatment is possible here, and that they can stay home without compromising the quality of care.

Our goal is not just to perform more surgeries. It is to build confidence in the Philippine healthcare system; confidence that patients can stay home and still receive the best care possible.

I look forward to the day when no Filipino parent has to choose between leaving the country or saving their child’s life. When the first question is no longer “Where can we go?” but “How soon can we start?” That future is within reach, and we are working every day to make it real.

Dr. Stuart Bennett is the president and group CEO of The Medical City. He spent more than a decade as a front-line military surgeon in the UK Royal Navy, serving as a nuclear submarine officer and as a Green Beret with a Royal Marines Commando Unit . Following his full time MBA at London Business School and Columbia GSB, he moved into Equity Capital Markets at Merrill Lynch London and then Private Equity in Singapore and Dubai. With a rare blend of clinical, financial, and operational expertise, Dr. Bennett has since led transformative healthcare projects across Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Today, he brings this global experience to the Philippines, guiding The Medical City’s mission to deliver world-class healthcare rooted in trust, innovation, and compassion.