MPIC Hospital Group rolling out 5-10 mall clinics

MANILA, Philippines - The healthcare group of infrastructure conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) plans to roll out five to 10 mall-based clinics starting next year.

Augusto P. Palisoc Jr., president and CEO of the MPIC Hospital Group, said they are looking at ways on how to grow the clinic business under Megaclinic, which they expect would become a growth area in the next few years.

“We will study Megaclinic for the balance of the year then we decide how best to grow this business,” Palisoc said in a text message.

Plans include the establishment of more clinics inside shopping malls and/or acquisition of existing clinics.

In June, MPIC’s healthcare unit completed its purchase of a 51-percent stake in Quezon City-based De Los Santos Medical Center Inc. (DLSMC). It also acquired the DLSMC affiliate De Los Santos-STI Megaclinic Inc., a 2,000-square-meter ambulatory and diagnostic center located in SM Megamall.

“We just need to find better ways to serve our clients in that kind of facility,” Palisoc said.

Palisoc said Megaclinic is a business related to hospitals with the same client base but a different delivery system focused on convenience of its patrons.

Benchmark investment for a Megaclinic ranges from P50 million to P70 million, Palisoc said.

“Our strategy is once we are involved in a particular business, we will grow it so just like what we’ve done in the hospital space, we could do it in Megaclinic,” Palisoc said.

The MPIC healthcare group’s expansion would allow the company to create a presence in new areas.

To date, MPIC Hospital Group has a total bed capacity of 2,137 in its eight hospitals: Makati Medical Center, Davao Doctors Hospital, Cardinal Santos Medical Center, Riverside Medical Center, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Asian Hospital, De Los Santos Medical Center and Central Luzon Doctors’ Hospital.

Palisoc said MPIC Hospital Group has yet to to make a presence in Northern and Southern Luzon, Cebu, Iloilo and Mindanao except for Davao.

Palisoc, however, pointed out that the group’s priority is to invest in existing hospitals. “We continue to talk to many parties but none of these discussions appear imminent at the moment,” he said.