NATION

Manila Doctors Hospital bags PH-first IFEM gold accreditation

DT · Aug 18, 2026, 11:21 AM

In photo (L-R): Dr. Marjorie Cruz, Secretary General of Philippine College of Emergency Medicine; Dr. Catherine Anne Dacanay, Chair of the MDH Emergency Department Services; Dr. Pauline Convocar, IFEM President; Dr. Geoffrey Corpuz, Chair of the MDH Department of Emergency Medicine; Mr. Karl Dimaano, MDH President; Dr. Hian Ho Kua, MDH Hospital Director; Dr. Alberto Roxas, MDH Medical Director; Dr. Dante Morales, Board Member & Chief of the MDH Cardiovascular Center.

Manila Doctors Hospital (MDH) has become the first hospital in the Philippines to earn accreditation from the International Federation for Emergency Medicine (IFEM), securing the organization’s highest recognition for its emergency department.

MDH received gold accreditation on 10 June 2026 under the IFEM Emergency Department Accreditation Program, which evaluates hospitals based on quality of care, operational excellence, organizational effectiveness and continuous improvement.

The gold rating signifies that the hospital meets or exceeds international standards for emergency care delivery and operations.

“This is basically just the beginning of a new chapter for our hospital. While we celebrate this achievement, we recognize that accreditation is not the end but the beginning of greater responsibility,” MDH President Karl Dimaano said.

“It challenges us to continuously improve, embrace innovation, and uphold the highest standards of patient-centered care in all we do,” he added.

IFEM’s accreditation program provides a framework for emergency departments to assess their services, strengthen patient safety and improve patient-centered emergency care.

MDH said the recognition provides patients and their families added assurance that its emergency services have been assessed against internationally accepted standards.

The hospital said the distinction would also serve as a benchmark as it continues to improve its emergency care services.