THE SOUTHERN Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) announced its proposal to expand to 2,500 bed capacity has been approved in the Lower House.
SPMC chief of hospitals Dr. Ricardo Audan said on Wednesday, March 4, that the new capacity will encompass the entire hospital, which includes all the departments, and will require a large amount of workforce.
The hospital presently has 6,250 employees, 3,720 plantilla, and 2,300 job order workers.
He also expects that lawmakers will increase their annual budget to ease congestion, expand specialty services, improve patient to bed ratios, and invest in advanced medical technologies and infrastructure.
“This will come later on once it becomes a law but at least in the lower house [congress] it is approved,” Audan said during Wednesday’s Media Forum.
The approval was made last Feb 25, 2026 during a congress hearing for the increased bed capacity.
Audan shared that he presented the census of SPMC to the congress during a deliberation and was given a suggestion to aim for 3,000 beds.
Audan also mentioned that SPMC is ranked as the 29th hospital in the Philippines in the “World Best Hospitals 2026” list that was published by Newsweek.
The ranking was based on measurable indicators namely the quality of care, patient outcomes, peer recommendations, and overall institutional performance.
