The Ayala group is investing around P2 billion to build what is touted to be the country’s first comprehensive cancer specialty hospital envisioned to provide high-quality cancer treatment at affordable prices.

The 100-bed cancer hospital will be a specialized center, equipped with diagnostic equipment, chemotherapy facilities, linear accelerators for advanced radiation therapy, and operating rooms for the specialist surgeons.

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This is in line with the group’s target to build a hospital portfolio with 1,000 beds by 2022.

Apart from offering a comprehensive range of services, the hospital will be led by some of the top local oncologists, working in a dedicated group practice as part of multidisciplinary care teams, the conglomerate said in a press statement on Wednesday.

“Cancer is now the third leading cause of death in the Philippines, and unfortunately, we struggle with poor outcomes. A key pillar of our advocacy is screening and early detection so that we can diagnose patients earlier, and provide them with more affordable high-quality cancer care,” Ayala Corp. president and AC Health chair Fernando Zobel de Ayala said.

AC Health president Paolo Borromeo added: “We are working with some of the most respected names in the local oncology field, and we are delighted that they share our vision for this cancer hospital. We are also encouraged by the feedback we have gotten from patients who love the concept. I think having a specialized cancer hospital in the Philippines is long overdue, and our goal is to redefine cancer care by serving a broader segment of Filipinos, while providing quality of care that matches global standards.

Borromeo said the cancer hospital to be built within Metro Manila would likely be operational by 2022.

Borromeo said the plan was to offer cancer screening services to identify cases early at AC Health’s FamilyDoc, now the largest retail clinic chain in the country.

The Ayala group seeks to deepen its involvement in the health care space by expanding its network of pharmacies and grassroots-based primary care clinics, harnessing digital technology and investing in specialty hospitals that are “innovative” and “game-changing.” —DORIS DUMLAO-ABADILLA

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