Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc. (AC Health) has tapped medical technology company Becton Dickinson Holdings Pte Ltd (BD) to improve its processes and services with an eye to securing international accreditation.
The initiative is aimed at improving health outcomes in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, the company said.
In a follow-up to a statement issued on Saturday, the health and wellness arm of the Ayala Group of Companies said the collaboration will solidify its position as among the most prominent healthcare groups in the Philippines.
On Friday, AC Health said it signed a memorandum of understanding with the US-based BD to “modernize and scale healthcare solutions across the country.”
The announcement came after AC Health revealed in April plans to grow its business into a $2 billion enterprise in 10 years’ time.
Paolo Borromeo, AC Health chief executive officer (CEO) and president, said the company is looking to increase its portfolio to 1,150 retail pharmacies, 300 clinics and 10 hospitals in the interim — the next three years — spending P6 to P8 billion.
AC Health said the partnership will focus on “supporting clinical optimization, digital integration, supply chain efficiency, public health programs, research and development, and professional education.”
To optimize patient care and operational effectiveness, AC Health and BD will work together on clinical consulting and workflow optimization, aiming to enhance efficiency and quality of care.
In healthcare innovation and digital transformation, the collaboration will introduce advanced technologies and digital solutions to AC Health’s network, the company said.
“Furthermore, the collaboration will address supply chain and operational efficiency,” it said.
Both entities will engage in public health and disease management initiatives, “including efforts for early disease detection, prevention and treatment, with a specific focus on collaborative programs for infectious disease management and vaccination,” AC Health said.
AC Health’s portfolio is comprised of 880 pharmacies under Generika Drugstore and St. Joseph Drugstore, 236 corporate and multispecialty clinics and six hospitals under Healthway Medical Network.
The partnership also emerged a few days after BD, based in East Rutherford, New Jersey announced its effort to expand market to the Philippines, citing the unmet needs in the local healthcare business.
