NEW HOSPITAL IN MANDAUE OPENS DOORS
Maayo Medical is the first DOH-accredited medical tourism facility outside Metro Manila.
Cebu, as a medical tourism hub, can readily compete with its peers in Southeast Asia both in affordability and level of service, said local medical practitioners.
Doctors at Maayo Medical, the first Department of Health (DOH)-accredited medical tourism facility outside Metro Manila which officially opened yesterday, boast of its top-notch facilities and medical professionals.
The outpatient medical facility located in Mandaue City positions itself to be the “healthcare provider of choice in Southeast Asia,” said Dr. Teodoro Gonzales, Maayo Medical chief executive officer.
The medical facility is also the first venture of Primary Group of Companies in the medical industry, where it has invested around P1-billion, including the construction of Maayo Hotel adjacent to the medical facility.
PH offers cheaper medical packages
While Thailand has been the most popular choice in cheaper medical services which makes it a go-to destination in medical tourism, Dr. Emerson Donaldo, Maayo Medical director, said the Cebu medical tourism facility offers more affordable rates since pricing of services are Filipino-oriented.
For instance, a basic medical package that includes physical exam and laboratory tests on blood, urine, and stool, as well as chest X-ray costs P700, among other packages. The facility also offers dental and cosmetic procedures, as well as diabetec care and aquatic therapy, among many others.
But, instead of looking at medical cost as the only consideration to promote medical tourism, the “value for money” experience is what it is all about, said Gonzales.
‘Obvious gap’
The warm hospitality of Filipinos and their fluency in the English language are two of the key advantages for the Philippines to excel in medical tourism in Southeast Asia, the doctor added.
However, even though Filipino healthcare graduates are highly regarded and sought-after by the most prestigious hospitals and medical facilities worldwide, the firm said, the quality of healthcare services here is not considered to be at par with the rest of Southeast Asia.
“There is an obvious gap between the quality of our graduates and the quality of our medical facilities,” said Maayo Medical in a statement.
Aiming to become Southeast Asia’s preferred healthcare provider means investing heavily in innovative health systems and latest medical equipment and facility for Maayo Medical.
Accreditation
The facility obtained an accreditation from the Joint Commission International, the gold standard for all medical establishments worldwide.
It also claims to be the first outpatient medical facility in the country to have a fully integrated health information system capable of incorporating laboratory and imaging results immediately into the patient’s records.
“This will greatly improve accuracy, assure privacy and most importantly, reduce waiting time for both patients and doctors,” said Maayo Medical.