MANILA is keen on exploring more healthcare sector partnerships with India with its modern facilities and institutions especially those offering liver transplants, a Philippine envoy said citing the need to ensure Filipino workers in India get affordable medical assistance.
“Citing the Philippines’ own repute as a regional wellness and medical tourism destination, especially for Pacific Island countries, Philippine Ambassador to India Josel F. Ignacio underscored the value of further strengthening healthcare sector partnerships between the Philippines and India,” the Philippine Embassy in New Dehli said in a statement.
The diplomat on Dec. 17 visited to turn over financial aid and care packages to Filipino liver transplant patients at the Max Super Specialty Hospital and the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, both in South Delhi.
Indian hospitals have been offering liver transplants since 1998 as the embassy calls India a “major hub for the procedure” due to high-success rates and cost-effective services.
The Philippines and India in November 2024 celebrated 75 years of diplomatic relations, which saw deeper mutual trust and expanded cooperation in trade and investments amongst others.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) last year said the Philippines must invest more in developing and modernizing local healthcare facilities as a way of encouraging nurses to stay instead of seeking jobs abroad.
“As more countries invest in Philippine healthcare, more local healthcare workers will be more willing to stay in their communities,” USAID Assistant Administrator for Global Health Atul Gawande earlier told a media roundtable.
“Ambassador Ignacio conveyed the Embassy’s hopes and wishes for the Filipino patients’ speedy recovery, and the Embassy’s commitment to dispensing its Assistance-to-Nationals mandate,” the embassy said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez
