The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor), the country’s casino regulator, has donated PHP6.75 million (US$118,499) to the Quirino Memorial Medical Center. The donation, formally presented on June 23, will help the medical institution “strengthen its neonatal services” via the “procurement of five state-of-the-art neonatal incubators,” said the regulator in a press release.
The Quirino Memorial Medical Center is a public hospital, located in Quezon City, northeast of Manila.
According to the announcement, the Quirino Memorial Medical Center “serves thousands of mothers and infants annually, many of whom come from underserved communities”.
Ramon Stephen Villaflor, Pagcor’s vice president for the corporate social responsibility group (pictured, right), said in prepared remarks: “Pagcor recognises the vital role that institutions like the Quirino Memorial Medical Center play in safeguarding the lives of mothers and newborns”.
He added: “Through this donation, we aim to help ensure access to safer and more efficient medical care, especially among the poor.”
The release cited Evelyn Reside, head of the Quirino Memorial Medical Center (pictured, third from right), as saying: “With the increasing number of childbirths we handle daily, having additional and updated neonatal incubators will make a significant difference in ensuring the survival and well-being of our premature and at-risk infants.”
Quezon City third district representative, Franz Pumaren (pictured, second from right), who helped arrange Pagcor’s donation, said the effort would help the medical institution deliver services that are at par with private hospitals.
“This will allow the hospital to expand its capabilities and better serve our constituents, particularly newborns needing specialised care,” he stated.
