Jaehwa Bernardo

The facade of the Philippine General Hospital in Manila on May 5, 2021. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

PGH gets new equipment, facilities

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/173511157844520210505-pgh-facade-GC-6233.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="The facade of the Philippine General Hospital in Manila on May 5, 2021. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File"/>The facade of the Philippine General Hospital in Manila on May 5, 2021. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/FileThe University of the Philippines (UP)-run Philippine General Hospital (PGH) has acquired advanced equipment and new facilities aimed at enhancing its services for indigent Filipinos.</div>In a statement, the Manila-based hospital said it recently inaugurated a combined imaging capability in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Computed Tomography (CT) — better known as PET-CT scan equipment — for more comprehensive diagnostics.A typical PET scan involves injecting small amounts of radioactive material into the bloodstream to detect diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and brain disorders at early stages by showing how tissues and organs are functioning. Meanwhile, a CT scan uses X-rays to produce cross-sectional images of the body&#x27;s internal structures, helping to pinpoint the exact location of abnormalities detected by the PET scan. The combined PET-CT scan offers &quot;both functional and structural information&quot; in one session, giving doctors a more comprehensive view of what&#x27;s happening inside the patient&#x27;s body, PGH explained in its statement.&quot;We have leveled the field for poor patients, who will be using this machine 80 percent of the time versus 20 percent for paying patients,&quot; said PGH Director Dr. Gerardo Legaspi, adding that the PET-CT scan procedure can accommodate up to eight patients a day at present and will be scaled up to 15 once operations become more regular.&quot;We need this machine badly because it has become central to the diagnosis of cancer, a major concern of our healthcare system,&quot; Legaspi said.The PGH is also coordinating with the Department of Health to make the service available even to non-PGH patients, training the agency&#x27;s personnel.The facility will be operated in collaboration with specialists and experts from other hospitals, Legapi said.Additionally, the hospital&#x27;s newly centralized intensive care unit can now accommodate up to 32 patients at a time, along with a 128-slice CT scan. These advancements are part of PGH&#x27;s long-term master plan to improve health care services.

The University of the Philippines-run Philippine General Hospital has acquired advanced equipment and new facilities aimed at enhancing its services for indigent Filipinos.

The University of the Philippines-run Philippine General Hospital has acquired advanced equipment and new facilities aimed at enhancing its services for indigent Filipinos.