QUEZON CITY, (PIA) --A dedicated cancer hospital that will offer comprehensive, high-quality, and affordable oncology services will soon rise at the University of the Philippines (UP)-Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila.

This after the NEDA Board on Thursday gave its nod for the construction of a P6-billion, 300-bed capacity hospital, the Marcos administration’s first Public Private Partnership (PPP) project.

According to NEDA, it will be solicited from the public through the submission of a bid and will be structured as a 30-year Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) arrangement under the BOT Law.

The Cancer Center, with a lot area of 3,000 square meters, will be located within the UP-PGH campus in Manila.

The entire building will have a capacity of 300 beds (150 charity beds for the UP-PGH Area and 150 private beds for the Private Area), 15 to 20 floors, 350 parking spaces, 1,000 square meter of commercial space, and an area for three linear accelerators (LINAC) bunkers.

The hospital will provide a full range of cancer treatments, including radio oncology (radiotherapy), imaging, medical oncology, and support for the UP-PGH’s teaching and research activities.

The UP-PGH’s private partner will design, engineer, construct, and commission the entire new hospital building, procure, maintain, and provide for the periodic replacement of medical and non-medical equipment.

It will also maintain all non-clinical services for the entire hospital building, operate relevant commercial activities, provide clinical services to private-paying patients in the private area, and assume all associated costs of clinical manpower, drugs, and consumables.

UP-PGH, on the other hand, will provide the site at no cost, transfer the existing equipment to the Cancer Institute, provide clinical services to non-paying charity patients in the UP-PGH area, assume all associated costs of clinical manpower, drugs, and consumables, as well as undertake clinical teaching and research. (neda/pia-ncr)