The Medical City, Lombard's Portfolio Investment, Performs First Successful Liver Transplant in the Philippines

SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Lombard Investments is very proud to share the news of the first successful pediatric liver transplant surgery performed in the Philippines by an all-Filipino team at The Medical City, one of the country's premier healthcare organizations.  The transplant, which entailed two simultaneous operations, took place on January 7.  By January 16th, the donor had fully recovered and been discharged and the patient, three-years old, moved from intensive care in stable condition and her new liver functioning well.  Dr. Ma. Vanessa H. De Villa, a liver transplant surgeon who has worked in some of the finest transplant centers in the world, headed the transplant team composed of highly qualified, internationally-trained experts covering multidisciplinary surgical and medical fields.  

Liver disease is a common problem in the Philippines, affecting adults and children alike.  "Due to the limited treatment options available in the various medical centers in the Philippines, many people with liver conditions have in the past chosen to seek treatment abroad," said Dr. De Villa. "Now that we have proven we can successfully perform a liver transplant at The Medical City, we can provide our patients in the Philippines with the same world-class quality health care as overseas liver centers."

The Medical City established the Center for Liver Disease Management and Transplantation (CLDMT) in response to this tremendous gap in the local healthcare industry. Headed by Dr. De Villa, the CLDMT is a comprehensive liver center that offers patients the seamless integration of medical, surgical and radiologic expertise in the delivery of extensive state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic services for the management of liver disease.

This transplant is the culmination of four years of preparation by the hospital, involving substantial investments in facilities, equipment and training.

"As with all our undertakings, we took on this challenge for a broader and larger national purpose," said Dr. Alfredo R. A. Bengzon, President and CEO of The Medical City.  This transplant surgery raises the standards of healthcare not only at The Medical City, but throughout the Philippines. "Our success is living proof of the excellence of the Filipino healthcare professionals and medical facilities."

Pote Videt, Managing Director of Lombard, said, "We are extremely proud of and humbled by the great accomplishments The Medical City and its physicians have made in improving the lives of Filipinos.  Its management has extraordinary vision and drive, and we know that they will continue to provide world class quality health care in the Philippines, greatly improving the quality of life of its patients, and setting an ever rising benchmark for medical care."  

About The Medical City:

The Medical City, owned by Professional Services, Inc., is a world-class health care organization with over forty years of experience in hospital operations and administration.  The Medical City serves 40,000 inpatients and 400,000 outpatients annually through its network of two hospitals and 18 outpatient clinics located across Metro Manila and in Philippine provinces.  The organization's medical staff of over 1,100 physicians provides expert care in all major clinical specialties and subspecialties.  The physicians are complemented by a 2,200 person team of professionals engaged in allied medical, administrative and support services.  The Medical City earned accreditation by the Joint Commission International (JCI), the world's most prestigious accrediting body for international health care organizations.  It has recently broken ground on a new 150-bed world-class tertiary hospital to be established at the Global Gateway Logistics City, a state-of-the-art, master planned, mixed-use logistics and business center in Clark Free Port Zone in Pampanga, 100 kilometers north of Manila.  The hospital, which will have a medical staff of 1,500 complemented by a 2,700 member workforce, will serve as the flagship center for Central and Northern Luzon and is expected to be fully operational by 2013.  (www.themedicalcity.com)

About Lombard:

Lombard is a leading international private equity investment manager with offices in Bangkok, Hong Kong and San Francisco, and extensive working relationships in Manila, Ho Chi Minh City, Shanghai and Taipei.  Formed in 1985, Lombard has made more than 90 controlling and significant minority investments in Asia and North America.  The firm's investors include some of the world's largest and most respected financial institutions, major pension funds and corporations, as well as family investment offices in Asia, North America and Europe. Lombard made its investment in The Medical City through Lombard Asia III, the firm's Emerging Asia private equity fund.  (www.lombardinvestments.com)

SOURCE Lombard Investments