Davao Doc modernization still ongoing: Pangilinan

MAKATI CITY -- Manuel V. Pangilinan, president of the Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), has announced master-planned facilities improvement programs as well as staff rebuilding and retraining at Davao Doctor's Hospital are still ongoing.

MPIC acquired majority shares of the Davao City-based hospital four years ago, eyeing the city as a potential investment area for medical tourism.

In a press briefing for regional press last week at Shangrila Plaza after the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company stockholders meeting here, Pangilinan said they continue to improve Davao Doc's medical equipment and develop its personnel to address medical needs of its growing clientele and to sustain the hospital as the most modern in this part of the country.

"Continuous 'yon (improvement programs) to improve the hospital," he said, but did not mention how much the company is spending for this undertaking.

Pangilinan also announced they have yet to push through with their plan to invest in smaller hospitals to cater to the needs of patients who cannot afford the services of bigger hospitals.

"To be honest, wala pa. That's the second stage and we are still in the first stage of building a network of bigger hospitals," he said when asked if such plan has materialized.

He said they are more into building "a robust based of significant hospitals first, before going to smaller (ones)."

At present, he said they have set aside another P1 billion for the acquisition of two more hospitals this year, one of which is located in Roxas City on Panay Island.

He did not mention the other one, but said the two hospitals have combined bed capacity of about 500.

Davao Doc has capacity of at least 300 beds. MPIC also operates two big hospitals in Metro Manila -- the Makati Medical Center and the Cardinal Santos Medical Center.

The acquisition of the two new hospitals, Pangilinan said, will result for his company a combined capacity of 2,400 beds.

"Hopefully by 2013 or 2014 we'll get there" he said, referring to the company's target of 3,000 bed capacity in all its hospitals.

Pangilinan said they are still eyeing another hospital in Cebu after learning that one of Cebu's biggest hospitals, the Chong Hua Hospital, is not for sale.