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Understanding Tech Issues with Reliable Vision of Innovation

by Jerry Liao, Philippines

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MegaClinic with MegaCare at MegaMall

Mar 25, 2008 11:53

You know, if you reach my age, career takes a backseat. Family and health come first. So I took the Lenten break to have my annual checkup done. Little did I know that I could actually do two things at the same time. I took my family to SM MegaMall to do some R&R and I was surprised to see an Urgent Care and Walk-In Health Center in that mall--the De Los Santos--STI MegaClinic.

I went inside just to check what it had to offer. This is my health that we are talking about and I want the best and nothing else. The first thing that caught my attention was its cleanliness. The place was so clean despite having a respectable number of people (which I assumed were patients and relatives). Second was its ambience. Although it's a health center, you can automatically sense its hominess. The staff were courteous--smiling and greeting me good day as if they had known me a long time. Plasma TV displays all over made you feel you're in a hotel rather than at a health center.

But as I said to myself, I came here to have myself checked, and impressions and health center images should come secondary to professionalism and expertise. So my real intention was to really find out what this center had to offer. A health center inside a mall? Its offerings must be way below what the big hospitals here in the Philippines can offer. But I was proven wrong.

With over 2,000sqm of floor space, MegaClinic is vast, housing a wide array of state-of-the-art medical equipment, multi-specialty centers, diagnostic and surgical facilities. It boasts a team of more than 200 doctors and medical staff with diverse areas of specialization, responsible for taking care of the patients' different varieties of medical needs. From pediatrics and dermatology to OB-gyne and internal medicine (and a wide-ranging list of other specializations), MegaClinic provides patients with the most comprehensive healthcare in just one destination.

MegaClinic features modern medical equipment to diagnose patients' ills and treat them. It has this VISX S4 Refractive Laser Machine in the Cataract and Eye Refractive Laser Surgery Center. In the Artery and Vein Center, there is CoolTouch Endovenous Laser Treatment (ELVT) to treat and gently shrink varicose veins in a non-invasive way. It also has a 2D/4D Ultrasonography and CT Scan machine.

MegaClinic also has a Sports and Rehab Center catering to athletes and active persons who wish to be in tip-top shape and achieve their peak performance. For those interested in a holistic approach to healing, there is the Living Life Well Center, which covers integrative medicine and uses traditional Chinese methods such as acupuncture, acupressure and herbal medicine to complement Western medical science.

People seeking to enhance and improve their looks may come for botox, breast augmentation, mesoliposuction, diamond peel and other aesthetic procedures which utilize the most current machines imported from North America. MegaClinic brings the ELOS (Electro Optical Synergy) technology to the country, a complete aesthetic solution that provides ultraFast hair removal, skin rejuvenation/FotoFacial rf, ReFirme wrinkle reduction and skin tightening. The clinic also has as ThermaCool machine used in the thermage procedure. The procedure is clinically proved to tighten and gently lift skin to smooth out wrinkles and renew facial contours or, simply put, it does facelift without the surgery.

A summary of its services is as follows: General medicine and specialty consultations; comprehensive diagnostic services (clinical laboratory, x-ray, 2D-4D ultrasound, CT scan, ECG, 2D echo cardiogram, pulmonary function test, endoscopy); out-patient surgery; plastic and reconstructive surgery; comprehensive dental services; derma laser center; audiometry; sports medicine, orthopedic surgery, & rehabilitation surgery; renal care & dialysis center; cataract and refractive laser surgery; annual physical exams, pre-employment exams, & executive check-ups; integrative medicince (traditional Chinese medicine); artery and vein center; pharmacy and sugarNOT (health cafe).

And you know what's the best part of it all? The fees are very reasonable. I inquired about its executive checkup package (which includes x-ray, blood test, urine and stool test, 2D Echo, ECG, treadmill/stress test, physical checkup, eye checkup and others), and believe it or not, the package price was what I paid for just a couple of tests last year (2007) from another hospital. By the way, it even has this membership card where it provides discounts and other amenities as if the current offering is't enough.

How about the quality and reputation of the doctors? I found out the center has Dr Hector Santos, president of the Philippine Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons, Dr Enrique Enriquez, STI MegaClinic's chief of Clinics, Dr Gertrude Chan, president of the Philippine Dermatological Research and Testing Foundation, Dr Jaime Galvez Tan, former health secretary of the Philippines, among others. It even has a doctor specifically in charge of MegaClinic's patient relations in the person of Dr Maripaz Montalvan-Rama.

To cut the story short, I had my tests done at the center. I was attended right away by its staff. The good part of it is that while I was doing my tests, my family didn't have to wait for me inside the center doing nothing. Since it's in a mall, they could continue with their shopping and there were occasions when I even joined them while waiting for my next laboratory test. MegaClinic staffs would just send me a text message (SMS) if it's my turn already. How convenient is that!

The unique proposition of MegaClinic is that it takes away the hospital settings which I believe are feared by most people. By the mere mention of the word hospital, this gives you that sick feeling or that something is wrong with you. Since Megaclinic is located inside the mall, and the way it's designed, the whole setting gives you the feeling you're just visiting an establishment that happens to provide healthcare.

So the next time you visit SM Megamall or the Philippines, do drop by the De Los Santos--STI MegaClinic, a mega clinic inside a mega mall, and experience the mega care of your life.

Thank you to all the doctors and staff of MegaClinic for making me feel right at home and for making me feel you really care. More power to all of you.

God bless us all!

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About Jerry Liao

Jerry Liao is an IT consultant in the Philippines who conducts seminars on various tech topics. He is a regular columnist of Manila Bulletin, a member of the academe, a system developer and a system analyst. He is a frequent fixture in press conferences and tech launchings, most of which are posted at infochat.com.ph. He loves to tinker with the latest gadgets and gizmos, but his most cherish possession are his children.