Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc. (AC Health) announced that it is investing PHP 2 billion (USD 38.3 million) to build the first cancer specialty hospital in the country. The announcement came a few months after the passage of Republic Act 11215 or the National Integrated Cancer Control Act which allows for the creation of cancer specialty hospitals and clinics by the private sector.
According AC Health’s Chairman, the hospital aims to address the prevailing gaps in screening, diagnosis and treatment of cancer in the Philippines. The fully integrated, 100-bed cancer specialty hospital will be equipped with diagnostic equipment (including a PET Scan), chemotherapy facilities, linear accelerators for advanced radiation therapy, and operating rooms for the specialist surgeons. The Ayala group would also like the hospital to be led by some of the top local oncologists, working in a dedicated group practice, as part of multi-disciplinary care teams.
The cancer specialty hospital will be located in Metro Manila and targeted to be operational by 2022. Further, AC Health now plans to offer cancer screening services through its retail clinic chain called FamilyDoc, across the country to identify cases early.
(Source: Ayala Corporation; Manila Bulletin; Philippine Daily Inquirer)
