Ayala healthcare unit ups stake in Qualimed

MANILA, Philippines — Ayala Corp.’s Ayala Healthcare Holdings Inc. (AC Health) through Healthway Philippines Inc. (HPI) has signed agreements to acquire a controlling stake in  Mercado General Hospital Inc., which owns the Qualimed Health Network.

AC Health chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala said the group believes in Qualimed’s vision to deliver accessible and affordable healthcare to Filipinos.

“Over the past few years, we have built a strong partnership between Qualimed and Ayala Land and we are delighted to integrate Qualimed into AC Health’s growing portfolio,” Zobel said.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic has renewed the Ayala Group’s commitment to invest in healthcare.

“With this investment, we will be better positioned to provide much-needed healthcare services for the country,” Zobel said.

The agreements were signed on Dec. 21 between HPI led by AC Health president and CEO Paolo Borromeo, Qualimed president and CEO Edwin Mercado and Whiteknight Holdings Inc., represented by Ayala Land Inc. Alfonso Javier Reyes.

The addition of Qualimed expands the AC Health clinic and hospital portfolio, housed under Healthway Philippines.

This includes all family, specialty and corporate clinics, which earlier this year were integrated under the Healthway brand.

AC Health will now have four general hospitals, more than 85 outpatient clinics, and about 80 corporate clinics as well as the country’s first cancer specialty hospital.

The Qualimed Health Network alone includes four hospitals namely Qualimed Sta. Rosa located in Nuvali, Qualimed San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan, Qualimed Iloilo in Iloilo City, and Daniel O. Mercado Medical Center in Tanauan, Batangas.

Qualimed also operates an ambulatory surgical center in UP-PGH, and has clinics in Makati, Quezon City and in Cebu IT Park.

“With the addition of the Qualimed Health Network, AC Health now completes the entire continuum of patient care, from primary clinics, multi-specialty care and now to hospital care,” Borromeo said.

Mercado said Qualimed is happy to be part of the AC Health family.

“During this pandemic, our partnership with AC Health to upgrade our hospitals and to build our COVID-19 labs has been pivotal, allowing us to serve thousands of patients across our network,” Mercado said.