FL joins Marcos Jr., Razon in opening Clark children's hospital

First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos joined President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and business tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. on Friday in inaugurating the Department of Health–Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital Children's Medical Center (DOH-JBLMGH-CMC) in Clark, Pampanga.

The DOH-JBLMGH-CMC is the product of a public-private partnership, with the Bloomberry Cultural Foundation Inc. led by Razon, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR), and the Clark Development Corp. contributing to the project's development.

The First Lady, the President, and Razon toured the pediatric ward, respiratory unit, and laboratory before leading the unveiling of the hospital marker. The First Couple also briefly interacted with patients, their parents, and hospital personnel.

The 120-bed facility is expected to serve more patients requiring specialized pediatric care.

The project forms part of the Philippine Health Facility Development Plan, which President Marcos introduced during his first State of the Nation Address on 25 July 2022.

"Kaya pinipilit natin na magkaroon ng specialty center hindi lamang sa Maynila, kundi sa buong Pilipinas para hindi masyadong malayo at mayroon tayong facilities para naman kung sakali man ay mayroon tayong magagamit na hindi na kailangang ibiyahe ang mga — in this case, ang mga bata na may sakit," the President said in an ambush interview.

Razon, meanwhile, said the project was initiated after the President identified the need for a specialized children's hospital outside the National Capital Region.

"We went to work on this hospital after the President identified the need for this type of hospital in the region outside the National Capital Region," he said.

"This is not a business venture. It's a contribution to our country's development, and more importantly, a worthwhile investment in the future," he added.

The plan seeks to strengthen the country's healthcare system through the establishment of regional multi-specialty hospitals, bringing quality and specialized health services closer to Filipinos nationwide.

The DOH-JBLMGH-CMC offers a broad range of outpatient, inpatient, urgent care, and emergency services, operating in line with the Universal Health Care Act to provide accessible, equitable, and patient-centered healthcare.

Among its services are adolescent care, a high-risk pregnancy clinic, and specialized pediatric services in otorhinolaryngology-head and neck surgery, ophthalmology, neurology, nephrology, gastroenterology, endocrinology and metabolic diseases, hematology and oncology, cardiology, and pulmonology.

The facility also houses an immunization clinic, a growth and development monitoring clinic, a newborn screening referral center, and a nutrition counseling clinic.

The hospital is the first phase of the Clark Multi-Specialty Medical Center project, which will eventually include a Renal Center, Cardiovascular Center, and Cancer Center, with the goal of establishing a world-class specialty healthcare hub within the Clark Freeport Zone.