The National Medical Center (NMC) and the Korean Organ Donation Agency (KODA) are establishing a cooperative framework to strengthen organ and tissue donation infrastructure.
The NMC announced on the 7th that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with KODA on the 6th to enhance expertise in organ and tissue procurement and promote health outcomes for transplant patients. This marks the first time the two institutions have jointly built organ donation-related infrastructure on a public healthcare basis.
The core of the agreement is laying the groundwork to elevate expertise throughout the organ donation process. The two institutions agreed to cooperate on relocating and operating "KODA LAB," a testing facility for brain-dead organ donors. Notably, the plan includes integrating the facility into the design of the NMC's new hospital building currently under development, consolidating organ donation infrastructure within the hospital.
Under the agreement, the NMC will support infrastructure development including securing space, while KODA will cooperate on design and cover facility construction costs. The arrangement aims to simultaneously improve both the efficiency and reliability of the organ procurement process.
The collaboration focuses on strengthening the public healthcare function across the entire organ donation and transplantation process. Previously, organ procurement, testing, and transplantation functions were often operated separately, but the integrated in-hospital infrastructure is expected to enable more systematic management going forward.
"A foundation has been laid to establish a stable testing environment," said Lee Sam-yeol, president of KODA. "Through cooperation between the two institutions, we will strengthen the promotion of organ donation and support for transplant patients."
Seo Gil-jun, president of the NMC, said, "This will serve as an opportunity to systematize organ and tissue donation infrastructure centered on the new hospital. As a public medical institution, we will continue to expand our service capabilities in this area."