Healthcare Asia, an industry magazine that caters to Asia’s hospital owners, investors, administrators and policy makers, awarded incumbent Makati City Mayor Abby Binay on Monday, April 25, with the Public-Private Healthcare Partnership of the Year Award for the city's Makati Life Medical Center formerly known as Ospital ng Makati 2 (OsMak 2).

The HealthCare Asia Awards honor hospitals, clinics and other healthcare providers in the Asia Pacific Region that have risen above the challenges and made a remarkable impact on their patients amidst the massive disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We are honored to accept this recognition of the city’s efforts to continuously enhance the quality of public health services in Makati and make sure these are always available and accessible to all Makatizens,” Binay said.

Makati Life was named PPP in Healthcare of the Year because of its promising construction projections and its vision to become known globally as a transformative healthcare collaboration between the local government and private sector.

Makati Life is the country’s biggest public-private partnership hospital being built through a joint venture agreement between LifeNurture Incorporated (LNI) and the City Government of Makati.

Binay first announced the construction of the facility on March 4 last year after the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Makati approved City Ordinance No. 2021-021 authorizing the mayor to sign a PPP agreement with LifeNurture Inc. for the construction, operation, and management of the hospital.

Located in Malugay, Barangay Bel-Air in District 1, the P9.77 billion hospital with 360 beds and multiple specialty centers will be rolled out in phases. Partial operations are expected within the first half of 2022 with the opening of a 24/7 primary and urgent care facility.

Makati Life will also start in-patient services with the first 100 beds toward the end of the year. Full completion of its 360-bed and 192-clinic total capacity is targeted by the first quarter of 2024.

The Makati City Government contributed P2.77B worth of assets, while LifeNurture obtained a total of P7B in equity and debt funding for the project.

Makati Life is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities that include a Cancer Center with a linear accelerator for radiation treatment; a Cardiac Center with a cardiac catherization lab for angiography, open heart surgery, and organ transplantation surgeries; and a Physical Rehabilitation Medical Center that will use robotics in treating joint and soft tissue ailments.

The hospital also features a hybrid operating room that combines diagnostic imaging and surgical theater in one room to effectively manage complex surgeries. It also has certified heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system for a clean, germ-free environment.

Binay explained that Makati Life is an inclusive hospital that will expand the city government’s platform for delivering excellent treatment and health care to all Makatizens in the city’s two districts. She also underscored that the project demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships and the latest advancements in various fields of medicine.

“PPPs provide innovative solutions to problems and can bring in best practices from other industries,” the mayor said.