Marcos vows to put up more specialty hospitals

CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Philippines — Saying that no Filipino should be deprived of quality health care, President Marcos committed to strengthen medical services at the barangay level and put up more specialty hospitals with the help of the private sector.

Marcos made the remark yesterday as he led the briefing and inspection of the site for the future Clark Multi-Specialty Medical Center (CMSMC).

The administration, he said, will establish additional rural health care units and barangay health centers and strengthen the Botika de Barangay program.

“All of these things we are putting together so that at least when it comes to the fundamental health care for our countrymen, then we can say is readily available to them… starting from the barangay health workers who play an important part in this system to the RHUs to the provincial hospitals to the tertiary-care level hospitals and to grand multi-specialty medical centers such as here in Clark,” he said.

The CMSMC is envisioned to be a world-class medical facility equipped with state-of-the-art equipment that will provide specialized care in four medical disciplines: pediatric, renal, cardiovascular and oncology.

It will be constructed on a 5.7-hectare property along Prince Balagtas Avenue that will be open not only to patients from the province of Pampanga and the rest of Central Luzon but also from the Ilocos and Cagayan Valley regions and even Metro Manila.

The construction of the CMSMC is expected to commence this month.

The President said health care is an important part of his administration, citing the lessons learned during the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected people regardless of their social status.

“That is why it is a fundamental part of the services that this government will bring to our people. It is not a privilege to have health care. It is a right and that is how we will approach this problem and that is how we will continue to make our health care system better for all Filipinos in whatever capacity that we are able to do,” he said.

He also urged concerned agencies to work closely “to ensure the timely completion of this extremely important project.”

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) is providing around P10 billion for the building of the CMSMC, which will serve the health needs of Regions 1, 2 and 3.

The Clark Development Corp., meanwhile, provided the land for the multi-specialty hospital.

In an interview on July 17, Pagcor chairman and chief executive officer Alejandro Tengco said the first building would be constructed by Pagcor and the Razon-led Bloomberry Foundation.

“We expect the completion of the first building within the next two years,” he said.

Tengco said Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Speaker Martin Romualdez both committed to allocate funds for the CMSMC in the annual national budget.

“So, if all goes well, maybe by 2028 we will finish all these buildings,” he said in Filipino.

There are 45 licensed hospitals in Pampanga, including 28 Level 1 hospitals; 14 Level 2 hospitals including the OFW Hospital and three Level 3 hospitals.