DAVAO CITY(July 8) — For thousands of kidney patients across Mindanao, hours-long trips and long waits for dialysis may soon become a thing of the past.
The Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) formally inaugurated its P1-billion Kidney and Transplant Institute (SKTI) on July 1, opening the region’s largest renal dialysis facility with 133 dialysis machines and a full range of specialized kidney care services under one roof.
The five-story institute is designed to transform kidney treatment in Mindanao, offering advanced dialysis, transplantation services, specialized diagnostics, and multidisciplinary care in one facility.
SPMC Medical Director Dr. Ricardo Audan said the center represents more than an infrastructure project—it is a lifeline for patients battling end-stage kidney disease.
“Kidney disease has been one of the most challenging health problems affecting many Filipinos. For patients with end-stage kidney disease, dialysis is not merely a medical procedure—it is a lifeline,” Audan said during the inauguration.
He said the expansion reflects SPMC’s commitment to making lifesaving treatment more accessible to patients who often struggle to find dialysis slots or travel long distances for care.
“These 133 dialysis machines represent our commitment to making lifesaving equipment more accessible, more efficient and more compassionate for the people we serve,” he said.
The dialysis center features advanced technology rarely available in a single public hospital in Mindanao. About 40 percent of its machines are equipped for online Hemodiafiltration (HDF), an enhanced dialysis treatment that also benefits patients with heart failure and high phosphorus levels. Three units are also capable of Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy (CRRT), providing round-the-clock dialysis for critically ill patients in intensive care.
Beyond dialysis, the institute integrates prevention, diagnosis, kidney transplantation, specialized laboratory services, and comprehensive patient management in one location.
The newly opened facility also houses a pharmacy, clinical laboratory, immunology section, billing and cashier offices, a mezzanine waiting area, inpatient dialysis units, and other components of its Advanced Comprehensive Kidney Care Center.
SPMC began partial operations of the institute in June with the opening of its pay and charity wards, intensive care unit, and operating room. It is now equipped to perform ambulatory urology and vascular surgeries, kidney biopsies, peritoneal dialysis, and pulse therapy for glomerulonephritis.
Located inside the SPMC complex along Dumanlas Road, the P1-billion institute is part of the Marcos administration’s push to expand quality, affordable specialized healthcare outside Metro Manila.
For many families facing lifelong kidney treatment, the new center promises something just as important as modern equipment: faster access to lifesaving care closer to home.
