Exchange of medical services between Davao, Manado eyed

Patients from Manado, Indonesia will soon benefit from Davao City’s well-developed medical facilities and well-trained medical practitioners, once the sisterhood agreement between Davao and Manado is signed.

“This is possible considering that we have agreed to add Health and Wellness to the fields of cooperation between the two cities under the sisterhood agreement,” Committee on International Relations chair Councilor Rachel Zozobrado said.

She said the soon-to-be signed sisterhood agreement will also include other areas of cooperation including Human Resources, Science and Technology, Trade and Economic Developments, Education, Youth and Sports, Environment and Urban Management as well as Information and Communication Technology.

“We are actually very excited about the development of the terms of the sisterhood agreement and we are all hopeful that it will not only remain on paper, but will translate to actual programs and projects for both cities,” she said.

City Tourism Chief Rizal Giovanni Aportadera, who attended the International Relations Committee hearing, said during his visit in Manado, he was informed that cases which cannot be handled by the medical practitioners and facilities in Manado are being brought to Davao City for treatment.

“This would make the inclusion of health and wellness in the fields of cooperation for the Davao-Manado sisterhood agreement very viable,” he said.

This was confirmed by Indonesian Consul Lalu Malik Partawana, who said this is also the same case even for patients from Bitung, who are also brought to Manado or Davao City for treatment. He said there are a lot of possibilities with the inclusion of health in the sisterhood agreement.

Zozobrado said Davao City is very developed when it comes to its medical services and facilities. She said the health and wellness field extends even beyond the medical tourism field which is also being eyed for promotion by the city’s tourism sector.

“We have lots of well-trained medical personnel in the city and we are also proud of the medical facilities offered by government hospitals like the Davao Medical Center and private hospitals like Davao Doctors Hospital,” she added.

She said this will add to the traffic between Davao and Manado, and will hopefully promote repeat visits for residents of both cities.