Posted on 09:13 PM, December 07, 2010 [ BusinessWorld Online ]
CLARK FREE PORT -- President Benigno S. C. Aquino III yesterday led the groundbreaking ceremony signaling the start of the construction of a new tertiary hospital complex owned by The Medical City (TMC).
The hospital will be built at the Global Gateway Logistic City (GGLC), a mixed-use logistics and business center inside the free port zone.
Mr. Aquino said the establishment of a second hospital here in Clark will allow people in Pampanga and other parts of Central Luzon easier access to the services of The Medical City, whose flagship hospital is in Pasig.
“It is my dream that someday hospitals all over the country can provide the level of quality care that you do on a regular basis,” Mr. Aquino said.
He added that access to adequate health care is one of the key elements in reducing poverty.
The hospital is expected to be fully operational by 2013 addressing TMC’s strategy to expand its presence by developing a national health care network.
Former Health secretary Alfredo R. A. Bengzon, president of The Medical City, said TMC-Clark will serve as the network’s “flagship center” for Central and Northern Luzon.
“Clark, which is situated next to an international airport, provides an excellent platform for building [an] international customer base,” Mr. Bengzon said during the groundbreaking ceremonies.
The ceremony was attended by Dennis Wright, president and chief operating officer of Peregrine Development International, Kuwaiti Sheikh Dauod Salman Al Sabah, KGL Chairman Saeed Dashti, Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) President Victor Jose Luciano, and several Cabinet secretaries and top Clark free port officials.
Under the terms of agreement, GGLC will construct the hospital building according to TMC’s specifications. TMC will then lease, equip and operate the facility.
The hospital will be run by a 1,500-strong medical staff complemented by 2,700-member work force.
Mr. Bengzon, who presented an overview of the hospital project yesterday, said The Medical City, through its philosophy “Where Patients Are Partners,” has dedicated itself to “service excellence” as demonstrated by accreditation and certification from the Joint Commission International, the world’s most prestigious and rigorous accrediting body for health care providers.
The Medical City is a tertiary health care organization with over 40 years of experience in hospital operation and administration, serving 40,000 inpatients and 400,000 outpatients annually.
The GGLC project, meanwhile, is a 177-hectare parcel of land designed for aviation-oriented logistics activities and a business park.
GGLC was conceived and developed by an American company, Peregrine Development International, and is being financed by Kuwaiti investment group KGL.
The “logistic city” project is adjacent to the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway or SCTEx and the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport administered by the state-owned CIAC. -- Rey Garcia
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