Mayor Bautista invites more hotels near hospital zones

QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista is encouraging hoteliers and property developers to put up hotels and lodging facilities near hospital zones to cater to the needs of families of patients seeking treatment.

During the Quezon City Medical Tourism Stakeholders Summit held on June 6 at Seda Hotel, Vertis North, Mayor Bautista admitted that the city lacks accommodation facilities for nontourist transients.

Quezon City is home to 46 government and private hospitals among which are major government hospitals, namely: Philippine Heart Center, Philippine Orthopedic Hospital, Philippines Children’s Medical Center, Lung Center of the Philippines, and National Kidney and Transplant Institute.

“We want an additional support system for the hospitals, like hotels. We don’t want patients and their families to go elsewhere. If someone is having a medical procedure at the Philippine Heart Center, his family should not venture outside Quezon Bautista told reporters.

The Quezon City government is willing to give incentives on real property taxes for those who will build hotels or bed- andbreakfast in these areas.

“On a global scale, I’ve learned that medical tourism is one of the so called sunrise industries. Our report from Allied Market Research forecast the world medical tourism could be 143 billion dollars by 2020. Growth is phenomenal and because of our hospitality, skilled doctors, and ready facilities.”