AYALA Healthcare Holdings, Inc. (AC Health) plans to build a specialty hospital in Metro Manila dedicated to cancer worth about P2 billion, in a bid to support the public sector’s efforts to improve cancer care in the country.
In a statement issued Wednesday, AC Health said the standalone Cancer Hospital will be a fully integrated facility with 100 beds.
The specialized center will have diagnostic equipment including a positron emission tomography (PET) scan, chemotherapy facilities, linear accelerators for advanced radiation therapy, and operating rooms for the specialist surgeons.
A company representative said AC Health has yet to finalize the exact location for the facility as it is still talking with several property owners.
AC Health President and Chief Executive Officer Paolo Maximo F. Borromeo said the company is working with “the most respected names” in the oncology field for the hospital, which aims to provide high quality cancer care services at more affordable prices.
“I think having a specialized cancer hospital in the Philippines is long overdue, and our goal is to redefine cancer care by serving a broader segment of Filipinos, while providing quality of care that matches global standards,” Mr. Borromeo said in a statement.
Ayala Corp. President and Chief Operating Officer Fernando Zobel de Ayala said the Cancer Hospital will seek to address the prevailing gaps in screening, diagnosis, and cancer treatment in the country.
“Cancer is now the third leading cause of death in the Philippines and unfortunately, we struggle with poor outcomes. A key pillar of our advocacy is screening and early detection so that we can diagnose patients earlier, and provide them with more affordable high-quality cancer care,” said Mr. Zobel, who also sits as the chairman of AC Health.
AC Health’s plan to develop the Cancer Hospital follows the passage of the Republic Act No. 11215, otherwise known as the National Integrated Cancer Control Act, last February. The law outlines the National Integrated Cancer Control Program, which should serve as the framework for all cancer-related activities of the government.
The company also looks to complement Cancer Hospital’s operations by offering cancer screening services to identify early cases at FamilyDoc, its chain of community-based primary care clinics.
AC Health looks to end the year with more than 80 FamilyDoc clinics, after ending 2018 with more than 50 clinics. This is in line with the company’s target of having 100 FamilyDoc clinics and 1,000 Generika drugstores by 2020.
Aside from physical facilities, the company is also in the health care space through mobile health app Aide, which allows patients to book doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals to provide health care services at home. It also has investments in online pharmacy MedGrocer. — Arra B. Francia
