Makati, Philippines, October 11, 2021 – No matter where we are in the country these days, it seems the Covid-19 virus has touched a family member, a neighbor, a friend. Even worse, we know people around us who did not survive this current Delta Variant surge, adding to the growing statistics of this pandemic, but now with real names and faces. As the largest private hospital operator in the Philippines with 18 hospitals all over the country, the Metro Pacific Hospital Group (Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings Inc. or MPHHI) has been forging on in the frontlines, battling this virus, this time in multiple cities across the nation.
Gearing up the network. This being the 4th though most challenging surge in the 19 months of this dragging pandemic,MPHHIwas able toprepare. Despite operational challenges and industry-wide staffing constraints, it expanded its total dedicated Covid beds to 1,100 beds. Medicines and medical supplies, including PPEs, were stocked up. Emergency Rooms were expanded to accommodate more isolation beds, and hospital zoning was improved further to control infection. 100% of its more than 26,000 frontliners were fully vaccinated by June. 13 out of 18 of its hospitals opened FDA-approved molecular labs for Covid testing, which have since swabbed over 500,000 patients, of which more than 16,000 confirmed cases were eventually admitted and cared for in its hospitals. And with the help of its group-instituted Covid Task Force, the various hospitals in the network shared valuable clinical protocols with each other, with the big premier hospitals in Metro Manila imparting lessons learned in previous surges with its provincial sister hospitals.
“With the entry of new variants and at the height of each surge, our hospitals have operated at full capacity. This pandemic has tested our limits and compelled our teams to think outside ordinary operational parameters. Where we have limited or maxed out space for more beds, some of our hospitals responded swiftly to the need to create additional capacity by setting up isolation emergency room extensions and designing innovative out-patient solutions that helped free up capacity extremely needed for more critical cases in the hospitals”, MPHHI COO Dr. Jeffrey H. Staples shared.
Innovative Solutions. To bring more services to the homes of the patients, many of the MPHHI hospitals launched teleconsult services, mobile laboratories for blood works and swabbing, e-pharmacy and remote care services, which included constant monitoring, mobile chest x-rays, vaccinations, I.V. assistance, and other health support services. The group also organized a systematic procurement strategy for additional equipment and medicine supply, launched a nurse redeployment and mobilization program while pursuing a nationwide nurse recruitment program. The MPPHI hospitals have invested about Php 3 Bn in capex and working capital in response to the pandemic and the operational challenges that go with it.
Light at the end of the tunnel. While continuously addressing the pressing needs of covid and non-covid patients alike, MPHHI has also geared up to support the nation’s goal of mass vaccination. As a member of the MVP Group of companies, MPHHI established 5 mega vaccination centers with a total maximum capacity of 4,500 per day in NCR to host the vaccination of essential workers from Group companies such as PLDT, Smart Communications, Meralco, and Maynilad. The program, which utilizes vaccines procured by the group for the inoculation of up to 80,000 of its employees together with their dependents, is also being implemented in all of MPHHI’s provincial hospitals. In addition, MPHHI is assisting various LGUs and corporate clients in their vaccination campaigns. So far, 153,000 jabs have been administered by MPHHI.
Eyes on the future. While fighting this virus, MPHHI has not lost sight of its vision: to provide complete and affordable healthcare service to more Filipinos all over the country. It remains committed to growing and improving facilities and is planning more investments across new and existing hospitals and other related healthcare ventures. One of our more recent investments to address a growing need is our fast-growing portfolio of provincial radiation therapy centers, the newest one having opened in June 2021. Over the last 4 years, the group has invested approximately Php 800 million in 6 cancer centers scattered across Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, accommodating about 3,000 patients since. MPHHI will continue to find growth opportunities to augment our existing hospital network, applying a holistic approach to an integrated health ecosystem as we remain poised for the evolution of the Philippine healthcare industry in the years to come.
“We were able to achieve great strides during this pandemic, only with the help and unwavering dedication of healthcare workers and medical practitioners, our hospital management and staff. We are extremely grateful for their sacrifice, and the relationship we’ve continued to nurture through the years. . MPHHI intends to remain at the forefront of providing quality healthcare service, constantly adapting to the ever-evolving needs of the Filipino people.” said MPHHI Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan.
MPHHI’s dedication to provide every Filipino with quality and affordable healthcare services is aligned with the MPIC Group’s commitment to contribute to the achievement of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being.
Metro Pacific Hospitals battle Covid-19 in multiple fronts across the nation
Source: News Paper Radio
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