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To respond to the increasing interest among Filipinos seeking specialized hospital care abroad, Mount Elizabeth Hospital (MEH), part of the IHH Healthcare multinational network, is increasing its presence in the Philippines through investments in a bigger office in Metro Manila, plus expansion into Cebu.
IHH Healthcare Singapore CEO Peter Chow tells the Inquirer during an interview in Singapore that the group has seen a notable increase in Filipino patients coming into MEHs in Singapore for specialized treatments, primarily for gastroenterology, general surgery and medical oncology.
“It is also a case whereby Filipino patients are no longer looking at the west [particularly the United States] for treatments, but also looking at other regional centers. And also in Singapore, it is comfortable and familiar for many Filipino patients. We have a significantly big migrant population. So the truth is, if you are Asian, and you come to Singapore, you will blend in very well,” Chow says.
Currently, 70 percent of MEHs patients are from Singapore, with 30 percent coming from overseas. Of these, half are from Indonesia, with the Philippines coming in second at 9 percent, beating Vietnam’s 5 percent.
