SLMC targets to finish P12-B ‘smart’ hospital by 2030

ST. LUKE’S Medical Center (SLMC) plans to complete its P12-billion hospital in Parañaque City by 2030 as part of efforts to expand its portfolio of healthcare facilities in the Philippine capital.

“We will start (building) in the latter part of this year or early next year, and we are hoping to open the door of that hospital to patients by 2030,” SLMC President and Chief Executive Officer Dennis P. Serrano told reporters on Thursday.

The planned St. Luke’s Aseana will be SLMC’s third hospital in Metro Manila. It currently operates facilities in Quezon City and Bonifacio Global City.

“The structure itself is going to be around P12 billion, that is just for the structure. It does not include the costs for the Magnetic Resonance Imaging machines, CT scans, or beds,” Mr. Serrano added.

He said the project was delayed to 2030 due to the need to integrate “smart readiness” into the hospital’s design. The original target for completion was 2029.

“Our need for smart readiness, we had to go back to the design,” he said when asked about the cause of the delay.

Mr. Serrano said the 500-bed hospital will be equipped with the latest technology to make patient care more convenient.

He said patients will be able to schedule blood tests via their mobile devices to avoid queueing.

“All the laboratory tests are automated, and giving out the results will also be automated,” he added.

He said patient monitoring will be centralized in the new facility, allowing doctors and nurses to monitor the vital signs of more patients simultaneously. — Adrian H. Halili