President Marcos said the new urgent care and ambulatory service center established at the Philippine Heart Center transforms how the country handles critical moments of patients.

Marcos made the statement as he led the inauguration of the Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service Center (BUCAS) on Tuesday, Sept. 10.

"So today, as we open the doors [to] Bagong Urgent Care and Ambulatory Service Center or BUCAS, we are not just inaugurating a new building. We are transforming how we handle critical moments when time is both our greatest enemy and our most valuable ally,” he said in his speech.

The BUCAS Center aims to bridge the gap between primary care facilities, such as rural health units or city health centers, and higher-level health institutions or hospitals by providing urgent health care services for minor surgeries and other ancillary services.

“This ensures that focus shall be given to patients needing special care, while still providing proper medical services for those with less complicated cases,” Marcos said.

According to the President, services will be provided throughout the week, including weekends.

He also noted that there are 31 BUCAS Centers nationwide as of September 2024.

“For these are more than just about the number of centers, or the amount of funding. It is about replacing uncertainty and worry with a sense of reassurance that help is close by. It is about the lives that we change and the hope that we restore,” Marcos said.

The network of care, the Chief Executive noted, assures every Filipino—whether in the heart of the city or the most remote province—that they are seen, valued, and cared for.

The BUCAS Center is part of the Department of Health (DOH)’s Modernization for Health Equity and “28 for 28 by 28” initiative, which targets the building of 28 primary health facilities by 2028.

During the event, Marcos also handed over a total of P520 million to fund more medical projects for Filipinos.

“So, despite the challenges, you continue to persevere and to innovate, showing both passion and compassion. This is the reason why we granted the PHC P200.5 million that it can use to fund more projects that will benefit the Filipino people,” the President said.

He also granted P185.2 million to the Lung Center of the Philippines and P134 million to the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI).

“These grants aim to further their excellence in disease prevention, diagnostics, and treatments that is the record of those specialty hospitals,” Marcos said.

The donation from the Office of the President (OP) will fund the procurement of essential medical equipment, thus enhancing medical services for the benefit of patients.