QualiMed, Opening Soon in Arca South

2024-11-08 11:26:02 News & Society

926

Arca South, the City in Sync, will open its doors to QualiMed. In 2 to 3 years from now, the residents in the South will have a new open for a health care facility. The construction of the 250-bed hospital which will offer highly specialized medical treatment is currently on its way.

According to Meean Dy, Vice President to Ayala Land and Group Head to Strategic Landbank Management, ?What we are doing in Arca South is no different from what we have done in Makati and BGC. We sold commercial lots to parties who eventually prime the development.?

Dy also mentions, ?But we have taken the responsibility of putting in the elements required to build a city ? residential, retail, office, hotels, then finally a hospital. The only difference in Arca South is we?re doing it all at the same time instead of one by one. This is how strongly we believe in our vision and how much of a commitment we are putting in to see it through.?

Asset-light

Fundamentally, the ongoing trend within the global medical business is operating asset-light. It is an asset utilization strategy wherein affiliates shoulder the operating expenses. Affiliates, in this sense, are also considered as owner-operators.

Before the care facility became QualiMed, it was a dream of Ilonggo doctors led by Dr. Henry Tupas to build a hospital to serve the growing medical needs of the locals. Dr. Tupas is Panay Medical Ventures Inc.'s (PMVI) first President and CEO. However, a total of Php900 million is needed to build the said facility, an amount that is difficult to collate unless they can get investors onboard.

One strategic investor in the mind of Dr. Tupas is Mercado General Hospital Inc.'s (MGHI) President and CEO Edwin Mercado. Dr. Mercado and Dr. Tupas are former classmates at medical school. Dr. Mercado signed the joint venture in 2012.

Dr. Mercado suggested Dr. Tupas to find a developer who will willingly lease them a land instead. Then came Ayala Land Inc. (ALI). Long story short, ALI took the first step into healthcare upon leasing land to MGHI in Atria Park in Iloilo City. The parcel is originally intended for BPO (business process outsourcing) offices.

As if it is not enough, ALI also invested in MGHI upon acquiring 33% of the stake. The stake will increase to up to 40% via capital infusion amounting to Php450 million until 2016.

Further, ALI and Mercado aimed to invest Php5 billion in developing the hospital and medical clinic chain. Their target is 10 hospitals and another 10 malls-based clinics come 2020. The chain is now under the brand name QualiMed.

QualiMed embarks on affordable health care, catering to the medical needs of the C market. The quaternary care facility commits to Accessibility, Affordability and Appropriateness. Put simply, high-quality medical services founded on genuine care must be physically and financially accessible.

QualiMed forms part of ALI's branding strategy as well. The facility completes the lifestyle offering that ALI offers in its community developments.

Aside from the hospital already established in Atria Park and planned in Arca South, QualiMed will also operate in NUVALI, North Point Negros, and Altaraza Bulacan. Other areas are Quezon City, Pampanga, Cavite, Cebu, and Davao.

At the malls, a satellite clinic is already operating in TriNoma. Other malls in target are Fairview Terraces, Metropoint, UP Town Center, and Cebu Business Park.