AFP, MMC Foundation renews medical partnership

MANILA—To ensure that active-duty soldiers get the best health care possible, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has formally renewed its partnership with the Makati Medical Center (MMC) Foundation for the second time around.

Renewal took place last April 25 along with the subsequent memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing ceremonies participated by MMC Foundation chair Manuel “Manny” Pangilinan and AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Eduardo Año.

Signing took place at AFP general headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Through its Health Heroes Program, the MMC Health Services department agreed to help coordinate and facilitate the health management and care of the qualified AFP officers and enlisted personnel.

This means that soldiers can now have access anew to the best health care facilities in all 21 AFP partner hospitals throughout the country, military public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said in a statement.

This flagship program is a renewal and expansion of the MOA signed by the AFP, AFP Medical Center, and MMC Foundation last June 19, 2013, providing for the organizational strengthening of the above-mentioned medical facility.

It was also renewed for the first time on Sept. 10, 2015, providing for an expansion of the Private Public Partnership program for organizational strengthening in an additional 19 AFP hospitals and military medical treatment facilities.

The pact will allow MMC to share its technical resources and open their hospital facilities to training, coaching, workshops, conferences, and mentoring sessions free to all AFP and partner military hospitals resident doctors and management staff.

This also means that through their partner hospitals, MMC Foundation will give or donate more hospital equipment, beds, supplies and fixtures to improve all military hospitals throughout the country.