The Medical City eyes expansion outside Metro Manila

International expansion is not a priority now, according to its CEO.

The Medical City (TMC) is expanding to provinces in the Philippines with at least 2 million people, as it adds at least 28 more clinics in the next two years mostly by acquiring existing hospitals, according to its CEO.

“Our strategy right now is to acquire hospitals rather than build new ones, due to timeline and complexity,” TMC President and group CEO Dr Stuart Bennett told Healthcare Asia in a video interview.

The Manila-based hospital chain has 72 primary care clinics now.

Bennett, who started his career as a front-line military surgeon in the UK Royal Navy, said they are targeting areas outside Metro Manila that don’t have enough hospitals, such as Cebu and Davao.

“Our approach is very simple,” he said. “We want to target the biggest threats to the Filipino population. What are the leading causes of death? What are the biggest causes of long-term illness?”

TMC’s flagship hospital in Pasig City, near the Philippine capital, has 521 beds and is set to expand by year-end. It also has branches in Clark, Pampanga Province and Pangasinan on the main Luzon island and Iloilo province in central Philippines.

Bennett said tech innovation is critical to their expansion efforts.

“This year alone, we are purchasing a new linear accelerator for cancer treatment,” he said. “We are still finalising which machine we will acquire, but it will be state-of-the-art and enhance our radiotherapy capabilities.”

TMC is also investing in the latest version of the Da Vinci robotic surgery system and exploring more ways on how artificial intelligence (AI) could enhance its clinical services. “We have been using it for years in our chest X-ray analysis,” Bennett said.

“Since AI is widely discussed but not always well understood in terms of proper application, we are ensuring that we approach it thoughtfully rather than rushing into areas we are not fully familiar with,” he added.

The company would explore partnerships to widen its reach, the CEO said, adding that TMC works closely with the government to improve healthcare.

TMC recently partnered with state-owned Rizal Medical Center on a programme that seeks to boost its access to liver transplants, Bennett said.

TMC manages Guam Regional Medical City, though international expansion is not a priority now.

“We are also strengthening our relationships with Papua New Guinea and other small Pacific islands, aiming to build a regional healthcare network,” he added.