TO BE considered as one of the largest private medical facilities in Mindanao is not among the original plans of those who started Davao Doctors Hospital 40 years ago.

"We just wanted a place for our group to practice (medicine)," Dr. Honorio Hilario, one of the founders of DDH, told Sun.Star Davao during the shareholders lunch at the Davao Convention and Trade Center Friday.

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"We never thought it will grow so fast," he said.

As DDH entered the hospital industry of Davao City when there were other more established hospitals, original incorporators said they understood they were taking a risk.

"There were other hospitals and we were able to surpass (them)," Hilario said.

Acquiring the best technology and the best experts in the country, DDH became the address of quality healthcare in Mindanao.

"We are very happy with the way things are right now," Hilario said. "And we want it to grow bigger."

The secret behind lasting 40 years of leadership in the medical industry lies in the risks and gambles that DDH took over the years.

"We kept ourselves abreast with new developments, new technology. We just cannot be left behind," Dr. Dominador Cabrera, vice president for medical affairs, said, adding that "when you build something, you do not want it to last only for the next 10 years, but for centuries."

"Our objective is simple, we just want to provide the best medical facilities and expertise in Mindanao and in the Eaga (East Asean growth area) region," Hilario said.

In Friday's event, DDH also launched its new logo and tagline which encapsulates the vision of the hospital.

"We Care for Life," the new tag line, shows that the hospital's core value is in providing care that extends beyond the physical wellbeing of their patients. (CPM)