The Heart Institute of state-run Amai Pakpak Medical Center (APMC) in Marawi City has started performing operations after opening the facility on Friday.

On Sunday, doctors of the APMC Heart Institute culminated their Cardiovascular Surgical Mission, which is in its third year.

The Philippine Heart Center (PHC) led the first mission at APMC in 2021 to expedite the adoption of APMC as a regional heart center.

APMC is a Level 3 teaching-training hospital with residency training programs for Internal Medicine, Pediatric, Surgery, Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Anesthesiology.

With the addition of its Heart Institute, the hospital will serve as a regional referral center for the Bangsamoro region and other Mindanao regions.

It is equipped with Cardiovascular Catheterization Laboratory, Cardiovascular Operating Room, Surgical Intensive Care Unit and recovery room.

“The establishment of APMC Heart Institute is in line with the thrust of Universal Health Care and is part of the mandate of Department of Health (DOH) to explore the regionalization of health care,” said Dr. Abdullah Dumama Jr., DOH Undersecretary for Visayas and Mindanao.

The initiative of the PHC for their 2012 Performance Governance System is to decentralize cardiovascular care and increase access to such services.

APMC chief Dr. Shalimar S. Rakiin said patients can avail of all government benefits for very minimal charges.

The 438-bed APMC’s government grant ranges from PHP100 to PHP200 million. It also received USD1.5 million from the King Salman Foundation of Saudi Arabia last year.

To date, the Heart Institute has spent PHP150 million from DOH’s general appropriations allocation. (PNA)