Iloilo City: Three companies showed interest in partnering with the local government here to operate and manage the Uswag Iloilo Hospital and Medical Arts Building through a public-private partnership.

According to Philippines News Agency, Lawyer David Abraham Garcia, head of the Iloilo City Public-Private Partnership Office, announced that The Medical City (TMC) submitted an unsolicited proposal this month. Furthermore, Healthway Qualimed Hospital by Ayala and West Visayas State University Medical Center have also expressed intent to participate in this initiative.

"They all want to operate and manage the city hospital," Garcia stated in an interview. TMC's proposal outlines an upfront payment and lease for the hospital and its parking area. Additionally, it suggests converting some rooms initially designed as wards into private ones to help recoup the investments made. The proposal includes non-negotiable terms, such as a percentage of the rooms being made available free of charge to indigent city residents and a lease payment.

Garcia declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing evaluation of the offer. "By August, we will decide, through the evaluation, whether it's a good proposal or not, whether it's beneficial to the city or not. If we decide to accept it, then we proceed to negotiation, but if it is not good, right away we can reject it," he added.

In the event that the proposal is accepted, the two other firms will have the opportunity to submit counterproposals under a Swiss challenge process. The five-story, 200-bed Level 2 hospital in Barangay San Pedro, Molo district, is currently 57.77 percent complete, following its groundbreaking on September 9, 2022.