27 October 2012, Manila Bulletin
by Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat
GE, the global technology, services and finance company, is participating in the Aquino administration’s PPP program particularly in the healthcare sector to improve accessibility and provide better healthcare services of government hospitals at lower cost.
GE Philippines Chief Executive Officer Jocot de Dios emphasized the importance placed by GE on collaboration and partnership between the public and private healthcare sectors.
“We value this and have the solutions that are needed to help the country shape its healthcare sector to meet healthcare needs in urban and rural areas,” said De Dios at the conference on Public Private Partnerships in Healthcare here.
Anchored on the theme “Developing Models, Ensuring Sustainability: Perspectives from Asia and Europe,” the three-day which ended yesterday brought together policymakers, decision-makers, local and international PPP health advocates, private and public sector health professionals, health sector business leaders and suppliers, academicians, researcher and media representatives.
GE Healthcare Country Manager for the Philippines, Ivan Arota said, “GE’s healthcare business is aligned with our growth pillar called ‘healthymagination.’ It is a company-wide, $6 billion initiative to help address the need for sustainable health worldwide. This includes lowering costs by supporting innovation through GE technologies and services; improving care quality through efficiency in standards of care, general healthcare education and financing.
GE Healthcare is a $17 billion global business unit of GE with 53,000 employees worldwide and with more than $1billion per year investment in R & D. It has 3,000 scientists and technologies in 5 global research facilities.
Arota presented a business overview of GE in the Philippines and ASEAN. Other GE speakers at this event include Matthew Khoory, Finance & Risk Manager, HHS, Asia-Pacific who gives examples of GE’s collaboration with governments to promote healthcare and Matthew Collingridge, General Manager, Healthcare and Hospital Solutions, Asia Pacific who talks on the private sector and PPPs.
Arota explained that healthcare was one of the fastest growing businesses of GE, with bullish prospects in the near future. “Our aim is to help our customers meet their goals through quality technical service and our strong local capabilities,” he added.
Some of GE Healthcare’s latest affordable and innovative healthcare products and solutions are now available in the Philippines, such as the GE GoldSeal product line (affordable high performance pre-owned refurbished systems) and the ultra-portable V-Scan pocket-size Ultrasound, among others.
