Health executives from the Philippines are exploring avenues to set up a pharmaceutical production facility in Qatar, a move that is seen to further bolster the country’s vision as a regional manufacturing hub.
With a vision to become self-sufficient in several areas like food security, Qatar will become a “more competitive” nation as it positions itself as a regional hub in modern manufacturing, said Philippine Business Council-Qatar (PBC-Q) chairman Greg Loayon.
“With the current economic and political scenario in Qatar, you’re looking at how the country can be economically-independent and competitive in the region, so one of the things that has been identified is food security and independence from a healthcare perspective.
“In terms of manufacturing, another objective would be independence in pharmaceuticals, and that is one area that these visiting doctors have identified as a potential in Qatar,” Loayon told Gulf Times on the sidelines of the ‘CEO Conference and Collegial Meeting’ hosted by PBC-Q yesterday.
The two-day conference gathered 30 CEOs from different hospitals in the Philippines, and board members of the Medical Mission Group Hospitals and Healthcare Cooperative (MMG Hospital group), which is at the forefront of the planned polyclinics and Filipino hospital in Qatar.
The CEOs, mostly doctors, will witness today the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between MMG Hospital group, led by its CEO Dr Jose Tiongco, and a Qatari investor for a medical facility project in Doha.
Participants of the CEO conference had already visited the site of the proposed medical facility on Thursday, PBC-Q adviser Robert Lepon had announced during his opening remarks.
According to Loayon, the proposed pharmaceutical manufacturing facility complements Qatar’s development of more free zones and special economic zones.
“This business prospects for Qatar also open up potential such that we are not only able to provide for the pharmaceutical requirements of the country but considering we are situated in the Middle East, it will be able to export the same needs to nearby areas in the region,” Loayon continued.
The PBC-Q official also said MMG Hospital group’s network of 23 hospitals in the entire Philippines is engaged in allied manufacturing to supply its own pharmaceutical needs.
“From a competency perspective, as a group with 23 hospitals nationwide, we consolidate our pharmaceutical requirements such that we provide for our hospitals in a cost-effective manner,” he said.
Loayon added: “In the same way, when we you’re looking at setting up a series of polyclinics and a hospital in Qatar, it would also make sense that we also consolidate pharmaceutical requirements such that the manufacturing facility is able to provide not only the needs MMG Hospital group’s business model but also the requirements of other business in the region.”
Philippine Business Council u2013 Qatar chairman Greg Loayon. PICTURE: Shemeer Rasheed
