MakatiMed celebrates 45 years of patient care
MANILA, Philippines - “Health for all, regardless of race, creed, or economic status,†was the philosophy that guided the founders of Makati Medical Center in establishing the premier health institution in 1969. And 45 years later, MakatiMed continues to adhere to its founding principle and has become known as the Hospital with a Heart.
Going beyond providing patients the medical treatment and attention they need, MakatiMed celebrates its 45th year by living up to its commitment of caring with kindness and “malasakit.†It continues to deliver exceptional healthcare to the underserved members of the community suffering the aftermath of hardship and disaster.
After supertyphoon “Yolanda†wreaked havoc on Eastern Visayas, MakatiMed launched medical missions in Tacloban in November 2013, serving close to 4,000 patients in the region. MakatiMed was also able to raise a total donation amount of close to P10M with the help of its employees, doctors, and partners, with the number still increasing as the hospital continues its efforts to encourage contributions from donors.
The recent establishment of its Center for Tropical and Travel Medicine (CTTM) allowed MakatiMed to provide holistic management of patients with travel-related infectious diseases, offering free and confidential HIV testing, and services such as diagnosis, laboratory tests, treatment, and counseling.
MakatiMed has also forged a partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to improve the professional competency and healthcare services of the AFP Medical Center, and provide them with additional resources and training facilities as needed.
Aside from its efforts to give back to the community, MakatiMed continues to evolve in terms of technology and research, maintaining its reputation as one of the top medical research and training facilities in Asia. The hospital’s Nuclear Medicine Department is considered one of the country’s largest nuclear medicine facilities, and it recently acquired advanced equipment that integrates two imaging techniques for more accurate tests and shorter turnaround time.
In addition, MakatiMed has inaugurated two new laboratories that modernize the way diseases are diagnosed and treated. The Anatomic Pathology Laboratory aids in the guidance of treatment and management of illness, particularly in cancer and research therapy; while the Molecular Pathology Laboratory allows analysis of DNA and RNA to diagnose illnesses, and predict its occurrence and likely outcome. MakatiMed is the first hospital in the country with an entire section devoted to Molecular Pathology.
The Makati Medical Center-Institutional Review Board (MMC-IRB) became one of the select few Philippine IRBs formally recognized by the Forum for Ethical Review Committees in Asia and the Western Pacific (FERCAP). TUV Rheinland has also certified MakatiMed for meeting the Healthcare Performance Assessment Framework requirements of the Philippine Healthcare Initiative (PHI).
Being pioneers in the medical field, MakatiMed also made headway in promoting palliative care and oncology nursing education in Asia at the inaugural Asian Oncology Nursing Society (AONS) Meeting held recently in Bangkok, Thailand. With a delegation of five nurses and two faculty personnel, MakatiMed was distinguished as a model program to deliver and facilitate palliative care education in the region.
Another worthy milestone was made by MakatiMed surgeon Karl Michael Reyes, MD, who was recognized with a The Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) award for his contribution in medicine, particularly in the battle against congenital heart disease.
