President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. donated P150 million to Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) to procure a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

The hospital received financial assistance from Marcos, through the President’s Social Fund, following a request from the Department of National Defense (DND) for P150 million to purchase a new 1.5-Tesla MRI machine.

This request arose as the hospital's only MRI machine, acquired in 2011, became inoperable last year.

The dialysis center at VMMC serves over 200 patients, including World War II veterans, retired military personnel, and their dependents, offering both services and medications at no cost.

With a team of nine doctors and 27 nurses, the center is considering expansion to cater to a larger number of hemodialysis patients.

Additionally, plans are underway to establish a kidney transplantation center within the next three to five years, aiming to enhance the quality of life for its patients.

Established in 1955 through United States Public Law No. 865, which allocated US$9.4 million for its construction, the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) delivers high-quality hospitalization, medical care, and treatment to Filipino war veterans and retired personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). As a tertiary-level government hospital, it boasts a capacity of 766 beds and a staff of 1,562 individuals.

In the previous year, VMMC attended to 8,977 in-patients and 234,699 outpatients, demonstrating its significant role in healthcare provision. Beyond its medical services, the institution actively engages in medical education, offering 22 accredited fellowship and residency training programs. Collaborating with various medical institutions such as schools, universities, and hospitals, VMMC contributes to training programs for aspiring healthcare professionals.

Furthermore, VMMC is committed to community outreach, conducting regular civic action and outreach programs. Last year alone, it carried out five medical missions, providing essential medical services to nearby communities, thereby fulfilling its mandate to serve the broader population beyond its confines.