13/01/2026
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๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฐ๐๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฎ๐ฐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐๐ณ๐๐น ๐ข๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป-๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฑ
Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) marked a major breakthrough in specialty care in 2025 as 24 patients underwent successful open-heart surgeries, demonstrating the hospitalโs strengthened capacity to deliver advanced cardiovascular care services closer to the region.
Of the 24 patients, 15 were adult cases, most of whom required Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) procedures, while nine (9) were pediatric patients who underwent corrective surgery for congenital heart defects, specifically patch closures for ventricular septal defect (VSD) and atrial septal defect (ASD).
The patients came from across Northern Luzon, including 11 from Benguet, five (5) from Mountain Province, four (4) from Baguio City, and one (1) patient each from Kalinga, Nueva Vizcaya, Pangasinan, and La Union, reinforcing BGHMCโs growing role as a regional referral center for cardiovascular care.
This achievement followed the 3rd Cardiac Mission held in December 2024 in partnership with the Philippine Heart Center (PHC). Beyond life-saving procedures, the mission served as a platform for capacity-building initiative. After the mission, the BGHMC Cardiac Specialty Center was declared 100% functional, having met all the criteria set by the Department of Health (DOH) for a fully operational heart center.
Even prior to the pandemic, BGHMC had already been sending doctors, nurses, and allied health professionals for specialty training in preparation for the establishment of its cardiac center. With trained personnel, established systems, and complete facilities now in place, BGHMC has been capable of independently performing open-heart surgeries starting February 2025.
This development has significantly reduced the need for referrals, with fewer patients now being referred to Manila. Patients from Northern Luzon can now access timely cardiac care closer to home, sparing them not only the burden of long-distance travel and added financial expenses, but also the long waiting times often associated with highly congested national referral centers such as PHC.
Aside from open-heart surgery, BGHMC has long been providing advanced heart care through its Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, which has been operational since 2020. This facility enables minimally invasive diagnostic and therapeutic cardiac interventions and has already served thousands of patients, further strengthening the hospitalโs comprehensive cardiovascular services.
The expanding capabilities of the hospital are in line with its designation by the DOH as a regional multispecialty center. This designation emphasizes the hospitalโs critical role in decentralizing highly specialized specialty care and improving access to life-saving interventions for patients not only in Baguio but also in the Cordillera and its neighboring provinces.
