By PMT Desk
MARAWI CITY — The Amai Pakpak Medical Center (APMC) recently earned a Silver Trailblazer Award for its governance-driven transformation efforts to address healthcare gaps in the Bangsamoro region.
During a Public Revalida with the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA) on December 4, 2024, APMC achieved Compliant Status and bagged a Silver Trailblazer Award under ISA’s governance framework, the Performance Governance System (PGS).
The Public Revalida is a democratic exercise that validates a public institution’s completion of the four stages of the PGS. Enrolled institutions include the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Department of Health, among others.
In her presentation on the hospital’s governance journey, APMC Medical Center Chief II Dr. Shalimar Sani-Rakiin highlighted APMC’s role in bridging healthcare gaps in the BARMM region, which is driven by poverty, growing demand for specialty services, and trauma caused by armed conflict and the pandemic.
“Lanao del Sur is the poorest province in the country. APMC adopts the PGS, which ensures efficiency, collaboration, transparency, accountability, and better patient health outcomes,” Sani-Rakiin said.
Designated with 13 specialty centers to address community needs, Sani-Rakiin reported that two of the centers, the Heart and Lung Institutes, at APMC have been granted full and operational status by the DOH Health Facility Development Bureau.
“The establishment of Heart and Lung increased the number of patients and decreased outside referrals, along with the other centers, elevated APMC as one of the six Apex hospitals in Mindanao,” she said.
The region and its neighboring provinces have faced numerous armed conflicts, including the five-month-long Marawi siege in 2017 and the Mindanao State University bombing in 2023, leading to a surge in trauma cases. Recognizing the urgent need for improved trauma care, APMC began building its trauma and specialty centers and inaugurated its expanded Internal Medicine Emergency Room and Emergency Department to accommodate more patients.
“To house our specialty centers, we have commenced the construction of the seven-story multi-specialty center with service wards and the five-story trauma center,” the medical center chief added.
Meanwhile, APMC expanded its Eye Center in 2020 and forged strategic partnerships with non-profit organizations and local government units to serve more patients.
“For our eye center, APMC strengthened its visionary partnership with the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines and City Government of Iligan through a memorandum of agreement, making APMC the first official eye retrieval center in Mindanao,” Sani-Rakiin further said.
In her acceptance speech, the medical center chief dedicated the achievement to the APMC team, noting that the success was a result of collective effort and a shared vision.
“Your dedication, teamwork, and brilliance have made this journey possible and rewarding. This accomplishment is a testament to what we can achieve together, united by a shared vision and tireless effort,” she said.
The Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA) is a non-partisan, non-profit governance reform organization that envisions a Dream Philippines where every government institution delivers and every citizen participates and prospers. (ISA/PIA-10 Lanao del Sur)
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CAPTION OF ABOVE FEATURED PHOTO: During the Public Revalida with the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA) on December 4, the Amai Pakpak Medical Center (APMC) was honored with the Silver Trailblazer Award for its transformative efforts in addressing healthcare gaps in the BARMM region. Achieving Compliant Status under the Performance Governance System (PGS), APMC’s governance-driven initiatives continue to improve healthcare delivery in Marawi City and surrounding areas. (Photo courtesy of ISA)
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