MakatiMed marks Laser Center’s 30th year

Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed) marked the 30th anniversary of its Laser Center under the Department of Dermatology recently with a program at the 8F Tower 2 Auditorium focusing on innovation and patient care.

The event, organized with the Breast Imaging Center and the Department of Psychiatry, carried the theme “Courage.” The celebration honored patients battling skin and breast cancer, as well as those facing mental health challenges, alongside the medical staff who care for them.

In his opening remarks, Interim Co-President/CEO and Medical Director Dr. Saturnino P. Javier emphasized the value of teamwork among departments, calling collaboration a defining strength of MakatiMed.

The program included presentations from several specialists. Dr. Ryan Raymond Y. Bautista, Head of the MakatiMed Wellness Center, discussed its range of services. Dr. Donna Marie L. Sarrosa, Chairperson of the Department of Dermatology, traced the history of laser dermatology and introduced Dermagraphix, the country’s first advanced skin cancer detection technology. Dr. Julie Anne Patricia M. Songco lectured on “Dermo-scope: Zeroing in on Early Skin Cancer,” stressing the importance of dermoscopy in early detection.

Socio-civic leader Elizabeth Eder Zobel de Ayala spoke on cancer prevention advocacy, while broadcast journalist Bernadette Sembrano shared her experiences as a patient and praised the hospital’s culture of care. Dr. Maria Luz Espinosa discussed imaging’s role in breast cancer detection, and Dr. Genevere Serna-Santos recounted the development of the Breast Imaging Center.

In observance of Mental Health Awareness Month, resident Dr. Joaquim Gerardo L. Jurilla presented on the hospital’s holistic approach to treatment, noting that healing extends beyond physical health.

The event closed with “An Evening with Music and Advocacy,” featuring a performance by the LeBrandancers — a group of doctors — and a set by OPM band Ben&Ben.