Advanced healthcare for Filipinos: PGH unveils new PET-CT scan equipment

University of the Philippines President Angelo A. Jimenez (left) and Philippine General Hospital Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi (right) led the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the launch of the new PET-CT scan equipment at the hospital. Photo courtesy of UP-PGH.

MANILA, Philippines — At the heart of Manila, the University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) is rewriting the story of public healthcare with a new facility that promises hope, equity, and advanced medical care for Filipinos.

The recently launched combined Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Computed Tomography (CT) facility at the UP-PGH is more than just a medical milestone.

It is a testament to the hospital’s unwavering commitment to its mandate: to serve the Filipino people, especially those who have been left behind by the healthcare system.

“Now that it’s here, we have leveled the field for poor patients, who will be using this machine 80 percent of the time versus 20 percent for paying patients,” UP-PGH Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi said in a statement on Wednesday.

He also said the new equipment would provide affordable access to advanced medical procedures often too costly or unavailable in some private hospitals.

“Some private hospitals have it already, but patients have to pay for the service in private hospitals. It is free for indigent patients in PGH,” he added.

The combined PET-CT scanner is not just any diagnostic machine; it is the first of its kind procured by the government for UP-PGH, according to Legaspi.

He explained that a combined PET-CT scanner is designed to “provide both functional and structural information in a single session,” offering a more detailed view of a patient’s condition.

A typical PET scan uses small amounts of radioactive material to detect diseases such as cancer and heart conditions, while a CT scan uses x-rays to capture cross-sectional images of internal organs. The PET-CT scanner combines both technologies.

Legazpi said this integration allows doctors to pinpoint abnormalities with greater accuracy.

For years, advanced diagnostic tools like this have been exclusive to private hospitals, often inaccessible to indigent patients who could not afford their hefty prices. But now, this barrier has been broken.

A facility for the people

At the UP-PGH, the country’s largest tertiary hospital, over 700,000 patients are treated annually, many of whom are impoverished.

For these patients, a chance at early detection and accurate diagnosis is often the key to survival.

Legaspi shared how central this technology is to addressing the growing burden of cancer in the Philippines.

“We need this machine badly because it has become central to the diagnosis of cancer, a major concern of our healthcare system,” he explained.

Currently, the PET-CT scan procedure can accommodate eight patients daily, but Legaspi said plans are in place to scale up to 15 patients as operations become more regular.

The UP-PGH is also collaborating with the Department of Health to make the PET-CT scan available to non-PGH patients, ensuring a wider reach.

DOH personnel will also be trained on its use alongside doctors under the UP-PGH residency program, Legaspi said.

The PET-CT scanner is just one part of UP-PGH’s push to elevate public healthcare.

Alongside the combined scanner, the hospital unveiled a 32-bed centralized intensive care unit and a 128-slice CT scanner, boosting its capacity to provide care to its patients.

Undeniably, behind every piece of advanced equipment and new facility lies the hospital’s driving principle: Healthcare should never be a privilege, but a right.

This marks the start of a new era, one where life-saving technology is no longer out of reach, where even the most vulnerable have access to the best care, and where public institutions like UP-PGH continue to lead the charge in putting the people first.

With this initiative, the UP-PGH is not just treating illnesses; it is restoring faith in the country’s healthcare system.

READ: Of PGH rats and other urban rodents