Marcos eyes 349 PH specialty centers by 2028 

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said Friday the government targets to build over 300 specialty centers nationwide before his term ends in 2028.

The President said this following his inspection of the newly opened Brain and Spine Center at the Cagayan Valley Medical Center in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

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

He lamented the lack of specialty centers in the country, saying that many of them are concentrated within Metro Manila.

“Marami tayong nakikita na mga kaso na hindi na umabot sa ospital at dahil walang specialty hospital na kagaya nito, walang malaking ospital,” the President said.

(We’re seeing many cases that don't reach big specialty hospitals such as this.)

“At kung mayroon mang ospital na malapit, puno na. At mayroong mga namatay na kung may ospital lang sana, ay baka nabuhay pa,” he added.

(Even if there is a hospital nearby, it is already full. Many have died who could’ve been saved had there only been a hospital accepting them.)

Marcos said he has directed the Department of Health (DOH) to build specialty centers in different parts of the country so that sick people in provinces do not need to go to Manila to get treatment.

The Brain and Spine Center, which Marcos visited on Friday is equipped with modern technology and advanced diagnostic capabilities, and is designed to provide comprehensive neurological and spinal healthcare services for patients in Cagayan Valley and nearby provinces.

It also boosts the Cagayan Valley Medical Center’s capacity in stroke management, neurosurgery, neurophysiology, neurodiagnostics, and specialized neurological care.

In 2023, Marcos signed into law the measure that aims to institutionalize the establishment of specialty and healthcare centers across the country.

Under the law, the DOH is tasked to establish specialty centers in its hospitals in every region and in GOCC specialty hospitals.

These facilities will prioritize cancer care, cardiovascular care, lung care, renal care and kidney transplant, brain and spine care, trauma care, and burn care.

These specialty centers will also address orthopedic care, physical rehabilitation medicine, infectious disease and tropical medicine, toxicology, mental health, geriatric care, neonatal care, dermatology, eye care, and ear, nose, and throat care. —LDF, GMA News