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- Dubai 04:26 05:44 12:20 15:47 18:50 20:08
The Medical City Press conference in Dubai on October 6, 2015. From the left: Dr Samuel Bernal, Chairman, Institute of Personalised Molecular Medicine, The Medical City; Abdulaziz A. Al Ghannam, Director of Sama Medical Services; Jose Xavier B. Gonzales, CEO of The Medical City for Europe, Middle East and Africa; Grace R. Princesa, Philippines' Ambassador to the UAE; Margaret A. Bengzon, CEO of Guam Regional Medical City and Managing Director for Global Business Development of The Medical City; and Cynthia Lazo, Director and Head of Medical Travel and Wellness Tourism, Philippine Department of Tourism.(Supplied)
The Medical City (TMC), the largest healthcare network in the Philippines, will open 20 polyclinics across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, a senior company executive said.
“This region has a fast-growing need for medical services and we look forward to making available our patient care right here in the GCC, starting with Dubai. We are also looking at opportunities in other emirates as we plan to open 20 polyclinics across the region,” said Jose Xavier B. Gonzales, CEO of The Medical City for Europe, Middle East and Africa.
The company, which has partnered with Kuwait’s Sama Medical Services, announced the opening of its first polyclinic in Dubai on Tuesday.
TMC, which is accredited by the US-based Joint Commission International, specialises in offering personalised molecular medicine (human stem cell and cell-based therapy program) in the Philippines which treats cancer and other diseases such as diabetes, metabolic disorders, neurological diseases (Parkinson’s, dystonia, Alzheimer’s, spinal cord and nerve injuries), and diseases of the heart, among others.
Dr Samuel Bernal, Chairman, Institute of Personalised Molecular Medicine, The Medical City, highlighted the fact that they had not treated any individual under the human stem cell and cell-based therapy programme from the Middle East despite treating a number of foreigners in the Philippines.
Abdulaziz A. Al Ghannam, Director, Sama Medical Services, pointed that the treatment was new to the region and not many citizens were aware, hence the number of patients seeking this treatment was small.
Though TMC will not be offering such a treatment here, patients could avail of their healthcare facility back home. The Philippines is in talks with local airlines to fly to secondary airports, which could boost their medical tourism. UAE citizens can get visa on arrival.
TMC network is composed of five hospitals and 38 satellite clinics across the Philippines, with international presence in the US territory of Guam and the Middle East and on-going projects in Southeast Asia. Its healthcare network serves over 50,000 in-patients and 1.5 million out-patients every year and has more than 1,500 medical staff complemented by medical support staff of 5,000.
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