The University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital (UP PGH) is poised to expand its medical services in keeping with its role as the country’s biggest referral hospital. The UP PGH Cancer Center and the UP PGH Diliman Projects are part of the government’s line-up of critical health projects to be pursued through the public-private partnership (PPP) scheme, providing world-class medical facilities, particularly for the poor.

Pioneering initiatives of UP in Health PPPs

The UP PGH Cancer Center, to be located in PGH Manila, will be the first dedicated cancer hospital in the National Capital Region with a 200 to 300-bed capacity, providing affordable and international quality comprehensive cancer treatment for public and private patients. It will also support the UP-PGH’s teaching and research activities. The Cancer Center will have dedicated surgical oncology operating rooms; diagnostic imaging and laboratories, including radiography and mammography; ultrasound, computed tomography (“CT”) scan including positron emission tomography (“PET”) CT, and magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”); a radiotherapy suite with multiple linear accelerators (“LINAC”), and brachytherapy; medical oncology (chemotherapy) areas; and multi-specialty outpatient care.

Meanwhile, the UP PGH Diliman Project seeks to build a world-class, 700-bed hospital with integrated healthcare, teaching, and research facilities and specialized services that are not readily available in other public hospitals. It will complement and enhance the capacity of UP PGH Manila in addressing the medical needs of the poor and the overcrowding concerns. As a teaching and research hospital with multi-specialty capabilities, the UP PGH Diliman Project will house both the College of Medicine and the Genomic Cancer Research.

Investing in PPPs For Health

The health and economic crisis brought by the covid-19 pandemic has thrust a renewed spotlight on the urgent need to invest in health care delivery. The passage of the Universal Health Care Act in 2019 serves as the legislative and regulatory framework for much-needed reforms in the health care system.

As investments in health care can entail significant costs to the public sector, PPP is one of the possible delivery mechanisms for the government to achieve UHC and ensure resilient health care systems. The public sector also stands to benefit from the efficiency gains, innovation, and expertise that the private sector can bring to health care systems.

Both UP PGH health projects are undergoing National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Investment Coordination Committee evaluation and approval process. The UP PGH Cancer Center is part of the List of Infrastructure Flagship Projects.

For more information on these projects, project briefs are available at: https://ppp.gov.ph/ppp_projects/pgh-cancer-center/ and https://ppp.gov.ph/ppp_projects/pgh-diliman/