The Governor Celestino Gallares Multi-Specialty Medical Center (GCGMMC) launched several new diagnostic imaging systems Friday, including the first photon-counting CT scanner in the Philippines, hospital officials said.
Dr. Laurence E.R. Tirol, GCGMMC chief executive officer and medical center chief II, said the new equipment includes the NAEOTOM Alpha Photon-Counting Computed Tomography scanner, the country’s first of its kind.
The hospital also introduced the MAGNETOM Flow Platform, described as Bohol’s first helium-independent 1.5 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging system, which Tirol said allows for more efficient and accurate imaging.
Other new equipment includes the SOMATOM Dual-Energy 128-Slice Spectral CT scanner and the Syngo Carbon RIS-VNA system, which is intended to streamline management of imaging records and patient results.
Tirol said the launch marks a major step toward bringing advanced diagnostic technology to Bohol, making it more accessible to patients across the province and surrounding areas.
He thanked all sectors and partners involved in the project, saying it supports the hospital’s goal of providing higher-quality, modern health services.
He also thanked the Department of Health for its support.
GCGMMC is a DOH-supervised facility in Cortes, Bohol, upgraded to a 1,000-bed capacity to serve as a comprehensive, modern regional specialty center. It specializes in cardiovascular, renal, cancer and transplant services, with officials saying the expansion aims to provide equitable, high-quality care to Boholanos and reduce the need for patients to travel to Cebu for treatment.
The Gallares Cortes hospital project was initiated by then-Gov. Atty. Edgar Chatto, who later, as 1st District representative, authored the legislation converting the former Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital into the multi-specialty complex.
The new hospital campus is in Cortes, while the original facility continues to operate in Tagbilaran City.
As part of the Regional Specialty Centers Act, GCGMMC hosts or is developing advanced care centers for cardiology, lung, kidney, brain, spinal care and cancer treatment.
The facility was converted from a smaller hospital and is now authorized for 1,000 beds, a huge capacity increase intended to reduce congestion in regional healthcare. It is also positioned as a major training, teaching and research center in Central Visayas, with officials describing the goal as building a “smart, resilient and inclusive” healthcare system for Bohol.
Governed by the DOH, the hospital is required to meet high-level standards set for regional medical centers.
Officials and observers have described the facility as a cornerstone of healthcare progress in Bohol, citing improved access to modern medicine, including comprehensive transplant and mental health care services.
