Aiming to augment the high demand hospital capacity and cater for COVID-19 patients with critical symptoms in Region II, the Board of Investments (BOI) has approved the application for registration of Cagayan United Doctors Medical Center (CUDMC) of Tuguegarao City, Inc. as a new operator of General Hospital Level 2.
Under the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act and the current Investment Priorities Plan (IPP), the hospital can avail of lower income taxes and applicable investment incentives as the project falls under the Healthcare and Disaster Risk Reduction Management Services.
CUDMC is located at 7 Bagay Road Caritan Centro in Tuguegarao City, a city included in the list of preferred locations for general hospitals from Levels 1 to 3.
“Due to the stark concern on the spike of COVID-19 cases coupled with the limited hospital care capacity for patients, the project will augment the hospital capacity in Region II to cater for COVID-19 patients with critical symptoms,” said Trade Undersecretary and BOI Managing Head Ceferino Rodolfo.
The CUDMC hospital project is part of the government and private sector’s goal to expand and develop new hospitals and other healthcare facilities, paving the way for the emergence of new value chains in the healthcare ecosystem.
“Gains of such undertaking are doubling investments in the area of medical equipment and devices, manufacturing of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals, Research & Development, life sciences, and innovation,” said Undersecretary Rodolfo.
Based on the recent data from the Department of Health (DOH), the Cagayan Valley region has recorded a 78.8 percent occupancy rate for COVID-19 patients, and with the approved project, 100 beds will be added in the region adhering to the DOH requirement for Hospital Licensing under Level 2.
The DOH added that Cagayan has a bed-population ratio of one bed for every 864 people, which is below par compared to the agency’s target of one bed for every 800 people, while the World Health Organization’s ideal ratio is one bed for every 200 people.
Located in the central part of Tuguegarao, the CUDMC is a five-story hospital that will cater to the people not just in Cagayan province but also those from upper Isabela and neighboring Kalinga-Apayao areas.
With its laboratory and diagnostic services, the hospital will be offering extensive, comprehensive, and specialized healthcare.
Additionally, the CUDMC has 18 critical care unit beds with a five-bed intermediate care unit, the province’s first. It will also have eight negative pressure isolation rooms, a laminar flow system operating room, and a healing garden.
The hospital is expected to employ some 652 people. For the first four years of commercial operation, it is projected to generate about 514 jobs and will infuse Php75 million contribution to household income.
Moreover, the company assures that the hospital will be well-equipped in the face of the lingering pandemic, as it aims at investing in digital health and digital health technologies such as computing platforms, connectivity, healthcare software solutions, or health information technology, among others.