As the Philippines gears up for its pursuit in becoming the premiere destination for international healthcare, four Philippine medical institutions teamed up with a Canadian accreditation services provider to raise the bar in health care services making health care delivery safer and more effective for Filipinos and foreign patients.

Recently, Philippine Heart Center, Manila Doctors Hospital, Asian Eye Institute and Clinica Manila had a contract signing with Accreditation Canada International, an organization that specializes in exporting health accreditation expertise worldwide, to participate in the organization’s pilot implementation program in the Philippines.

Fundamentally, accreditation is defined as one of the most effective ways for health organizations to improve the quality of their services and demonstrate their commitment to meet or exceed healthcare standards of excellence.

Working with Accreditation Canada entails the four medical institutions to participate in Qmentum International; Accreditation Canada’s the new program that establishes the highest international healthcare accreditation standards that benefit from more than 50 years of Canadian and international expertise.

“The challenge today is that many internationally recognized accreditation bodies exist around the world. While their standards are generally high, their processes are all quite different,” says Wendy Nicklin, President and CEO of Accreditation Canada.  “The Philippines is a great opportunity to share ideas and develop clear, sustainable benchmarks regarding quality improvement and measurement.”

Accreditation Canada has been active all over the world, and is a vital partner in current quality-improvement initiatives in the Middle East, South America, Europe and the Caribbean. A well-known pioneer in the global marketplace, the organization continues to increase its presence in the Americas, North Asia, and Southeast Asia.

“In every country, there are unique circumstances through which accreditation is developed, and one of our main objectives is to work with key stakeholders in building sustainable accreditation processes tailored to the needs of the Philippine health care organizations,” adds Dr. Gilles Lanteigne, Executive Vice President at Accreditation Canada.

The Philippines is already well-positioned to become a leading international healthcare destination. Our hospitals boast of reasonably priced healthcare services, competent healthcare professionals with excellent English communication skills and a favorable business environment. Moreover, having these medic al institutions accredited gives Filipinos a chance to showcase what we can offer to the world.