Marilyn Cahatol

The National Kidney and Transplant Institute's emergency room reaches full capacity on November 24, 2022, mostly due to patients on dialysis, including those with leptospirosis and COVID-19. The medical center advised the public to look for other hospitals as it deals with patient overcapacity and lack of manpower. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

NKTI-FULL CAPACITY

Andrea Taguines

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176829012488520221124-nkti-full-capacity-MD-11.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="The National Kidney and Transplant Institute&#x27;s emergency room reaches full capacity on November 24, 2022, mostly due to patients on dialysis, including those with leptospirosis and COVID-19. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The National Kidney and Transplant Institute&#x27;s emergency room reaches full capacity on November 24, 2022, mostly due to patients on dialysis, including those with leptospirosis and COVID-19. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday vowed to ramp up the construction of several hospital buildings in Metro Manila so they can be completed before the Marcos administration ends in 2028.</p><p>Dizon first inspected the ongoing construction of the new buildings at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center (PCMC). One of the buildings is seen to open by May or June but Dizon was dismayed that it took 10 years to finish. He blamed this on bad budget planning which, he said, tend to open doors for corruption.</p><p>“Can you imagine, 10 years yan, hindi pa tapos? Madalas, ang rason kung bakit nate-tengga ang maraming mga trabaho — ospital, classroom, kalye, tulay is tingi-tingi ang pondo. Bakit tingi-tingi? E diretsahan na lang tayo, kasi yung ibang mga pondo, nilalagay sa mga project na pinagnanakawan lang. Yun ang totoo nitong mga nakaraang taon,” he said.</p><p>“So ngayon, ang commitment ni Presidente is kung ano ang kailangan na pondo para matapos na ‘to, ilagay na natin sa budget,” added Dizon.</p><p>Department of Health Undersecretary Gregorio Murillo said this will do wonders in increasing the hospital’s capacity.</p><p>“Nakita po namin kanina, alas-5 pa lang ng umaga naka-linya na. Malaki po talaga ang gaps natin sa pagtaas ng ating populasyon, yung capacity ng mga hospital natin hindi nakahabol,” he said.</p><p>Once finished, the building is seen to have the biggest pediatric emergency room in the Philippines.</p><p>“Yung bago natin, 8 floors na yan, yung capacity niya nasa 60. Yung ER niya napakalaki, 300 bed capacity,” added Murillo.</p><p>Dizon also checked the progress of the <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2024/12/10/marcos-leads-groundbreaking-of-cancer-center-at-ofw-hospital-1452">Philippine Cancer Center</a>, which is seen to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2027.</p><p>“Ito ang magiging first Philippine Cancer Center ng gobyerno. Ito ay 20 floors, times 10 ito sa laki at sa capacity compared doon sa private sector. Sabi nila end of next year tapos na ‘to so papaspasan pa natin and hopefully by October, November tapos na tayo,” he said.</p><p>But he admitted that a bigger budget is needed.</p><p>“Right now kulang pa ng mga P1.5-P1.8 billion itong budget ng Philippine Cancer Center so kailangan yan hingin kaagad sa 2027. Ang priority natin ngayon sa bagong sistema ng pagba-budget, uunahin natin lahat ng hindi pa tapos na tulay, kalye, ospital, iba’t ibang facility para masigurado na sa mga susunod na taon matatapos na,” he said.</p><p>Meanwhile, the DPWH aims to finish the new National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2024/6/26/13-story-hemodialysis-center-to-rise-at-nkti-1825">hemodialysis wing</a>, said to be the biggest in Southeast Asia, by early 2028.</p><p>“Construction started 2024 so ngayon 4 floors na out of 12. Since it’s a very specialized hospital, hindi siya ganun kasimple. Hindi lang basta-bastang building. Initially sabi nila April but we will try our best to make it earlier, hopefully by beginning of 2028 pwede na,” said Dizon.</p><p>NKTI Executive Director Dr. Dante Dator welcomed this development, noting how important it is to speed up capacity building for public hospitals in line with universal health care rules and the government’s zero balance billing policy.</p><p>“Because of universal healthcare, zero balance billing, the announcement that government hospitals are ready to take in all these patients, we need to build and increase capacity and the capacity building is not as quick as a public announcement in the newspaper that we have this. It’s not something like an overnight thing,” he said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2026/1/5/doh-wants-lgu-hospitals-included-in-zero-balance-billing-this-2026-1842">DOH wants LGU hospitals included in zero-balance billing this 2026</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C4PPfCnYgiM?si=AnovLVkc7EbH_z8J" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday vowed to ramp up the construction of several hospital buildings in Metro Manila so they can be completed before the Marcos administration ends in 2028.</p>

Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday vowed to ramp up the construction of several hospital buildings in Metro Manila so they can be completed before the Marcos administration ends in 2028.

DPWH aims to complete construction of 'legacy' hospitals by 2028

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DPWH aims to complete construction of 'legacy' hospitals by 2028

Andrea Taguines,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jan 13, 2026 03:53 PM PHT

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DPWH

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Philippine Children’s Medical Center

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Philippine Cancer Center

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