Marcos eyes 349 specialty centers nationwide by 2028

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said he is eyeing the establishment of 349 specialty centers nationwide before his term ends in 2028.

The President made the statement after inspecting the newly opened Brain and Spine Center at the Cagayan Valley Medical Center (CVMC) in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan — the first facility of its kind in Northern Luzon.

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“As of now, we are targeting 349 specialty centers by the time I leave office in 2028,” he said in his speech.

“And like I mentioned, we will continue to expand our health benefits coming from PhilHealth,” Marcos added.

The CVMC currently has seven specialist doctors and 28 nurses and allied health professionals serving patients from Cagayan and the rest of Region II.

It also implements the Zero Balance Billing policy, under which patients admitted to basic or ward accommodations no longer have to pay hospital bills.

Citing the challenges experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, Marcos said he wants to ensure that the public has easier access to specialty healthcare services.

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“You’re actually better off there in Luzon. In ten hours, at least you can reach Manila. If you’re in the Visayas or in Mindanao, how do you expect to get yourself there… especially when you’re already sick?” he said.

“That’s exactly what I was saying — some of them never even made it to the hospital, and their lives were lost unnecessarily. If only there had been a hospital, they might still be alive,” he added.

In August 2023, Marcos signed Republic Act No. 11959, also known as the Regional Specialty Centers Act, which mandates the Department of Health to establish specialty centers in regional hospitals and state-run specialty hospitals across the country. /das