Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc. (AC Health), through Healthway Philippines Inc. (HPI), has signed agreements to acquire a controlling stake of Mercado General Hospital, Inc. (Qualimed), which owns or has interests in the Qualimed Health Network.
In a statement, AC Health said the addition of Qualimed expands the AC Health clinic and hospital portfolio, housed under Healthway Philippines Inc.
With the acquisition, AC Health will now have four general hospitals, more than 85 outpatient clinics, and about 80 corporate clinics, as well as the country’s first cancer specialty hospital.
“We have always believed in Qualimed’s vision to deliver accessible and affordable healthcare to Filipinos. Over the past few years, we have built a strong partnership between Qualimed and Ayala Land and we are delighted to integrate Qualimed into AC Health’s growing portfolio,” said AC Health Chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala.
He added that, “The COVID-19 pandemic has renewed the Ayala Group’s commitment to invest in healthcare, and with this investment, we will be better positioned to provide much-needed healthcare services for the country.”
The Qualimed Health Network includes 4 hospitals: Qualimed Sta. Rosa located in Nuvali, Qualimed San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan, Qualimed Iloilo in Iloilo City, and Daniel O. Mercado Medical Center in Tanauan, Batangas.
In addition, Qualimed also operates an ambulatory surgical center in UP-PGH, and has clinics in Makati, Quezon City and in Cebu IT Park.
“With the addition of the Qualimed Health Network, AC Health now completes the entire continuum of patient care, from primary clinics, multi-specialty care and now to hospital care. We have taken a deliberate approach to building up our healthcare ecosystem, with the goal of delivering an integrated patient experience for more Filipinos,” said AC Health President and CEO, Paolo Borromeo.
He added that, “In addition to expanding our touchpoints, we are also excited about creating unique synergies in our network, such as patient referrals, expanded opportunities for our medical professionals, and greater operational efficiencies on pharmacy and diagnostics.
“We are delighted to be part of the AC Health family. During this pandemic, our partnership with AC Health to upgrade our hospitals and to build our COVID-19 labs has been pivotal, allowing us to serve thousands of patients across our network. It is this collaborative spirit that will ensure Qualimed’s continued growth during these challenging times. Qualimed has always endeavored to make healthcare more accessible, and we hope this partnership will allow us to accelerate that vision even further” said Dr. Edwin Mercado, President and CEO of Qualimed Health Network.