Monday, July 28, 2008 [ manilatimes.net ]
THE Professional Services Inc. is eyeing to attract more medical tourists and local upscale health and wellness enthusiasts with its expansion of the Medical City in Pasig City.
Margaret Bengzon, Medical City department head for strategic services, said in a briefing that the hospital would add 10 floors to its five-floor Nursing Tower 2, which would increase the hospital’s space by 10,000 square meters or another 250 rooms.
“[We] are doing this to attract more patient-partners, and in order to accommodate more health and wellness enthusiasts,” Bengzon said.
Bengson said patients are given a personalized health card to monitor their patronage and allow them to earn points for every visit.
“At present [we] have more than 400,000 cardholders,” she said.
Bengzon said the medical center plans to partner with some of the biggest and most reputable hospitals across the country to fully integrate and centralize its presence.
“Right now, [we] already have eight satellite out-patient clinics, and [we] intend to add another two, one in Marikina City and another one in SM Manila before the year ends,” she said.
The executive said the company is also serious in going public, but has yet to map out details of the same.
The company bagged tax incentives and other perks from the Board of Investments (BOI) for the expansion of its health-care and wellness facility.
The Medical City will infuse P1.582 billion from Benpres Holdings Corp., Splash Holdings and Insular Life Assurance to increase its capacity and improve its medical and wellness facilities as well as accommodate more medical tourists.
The Medical City is an upscale tertiary care hospital that serves 40,000 inpatients and 380,000 outpatients a year.
The government is encouraging the improvement, expansion, and establishment of healthcare and wellness facilities, which are entitled to tax incentives and other perks.
The Medical City project will include the purchase of state-of-the-art medical equipment and introduce the latest medical and wellness-related services.
Its first 15-storey Nursing Tower has a heliport and business center, and has 500 beds. The second Nursing Tower provides capacity for an additional 300 beds, while the expansion program will add 210 rooms or 250 beds.
The 18 floors of the Medical Arts Tower house 280 doctors’ clinics and selected commercial spaces, such as banks, a restaurant, a food court, a convenience store, and gift shop. Located within the sixth floor Podium are diagnostic and intervention facilities, as well as support and administrative offices. The three-level basement parking accommodates over a thousand vehicles for clients and staff. -- Katrina Mennen A. Valdez
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