PAMPANGA — Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital (JBLMGH) has etched its name in Philippine medical history after successfully performing the country’s first-ever long-distance regional robotic telesurgeries.
In a groundbreaking collaboration with Cotabato Regional and Medical Center (CRMC), JBLMGH bridged a distance of 1,380 kilometers to bring world-class surgical care across the archipelago — powered by the SSI Mantra Robotic Surgery System.
Leading the historic feat, Dr. Ryan Quiambao of JBLMGH performed a Robotic Cholecystectomy from Pampanga on a patient in Cotabato City. In return, CRMC surgeons Dr. Al-Jazzer M. Angas and Dr. Louis Gerard Agustin performed the same procedure remotely on a patient at JBLMGH’s operating room.
All procedures were completed safely in less than an hour, with minimal blood loss, and at no cost to patients under the Department of Health’s Zero Balance Billing policy.
The milestone was witnessed by DOH Secretary Dr. Edwin M. Mercado, Pampanga Governor Lilia Pineda, Nanay Partylist Rep. Florabel Yatco, DOH Central Luzon Regional Director Dr. Corazon Flores, OIC-Assistant Regional Director Dr. Lailani Mangulabnan, JBLMGH Medical Center Chief Dr. Monserrat Chichioco, CRMC Medical Center Chief Dr. Ishmael Dimaren, and officials and staff of both hospitals.
SS Innovations Founder, Chair and CEO Dr. Sudhir Shrivastava, inventor of the SSI Mantra system, flew in from New Delhi, India, to witness the event, with technical support from RBGM Medical Express Sales, Inc. and SSI staff who ensured seamless internet connectivity.
JBLMGH credited the success to the collective effort of its Departments of Surgery and Anesthesiology, operating room nurses, biomedical technicians, and the IHOMS teams of both institutions.
“This breakthrough is more than technological advancement — it is about dismantling geographic barriers,” JBLMGH said in a statement. “By leveraging cutting-edge robotic telesurgery, we are ensuring that advanced, life-saving healthcare is accessible and equitable for every Filipino.”
The hospital hailed the achievement as a testament to its commitment to innovation, inclusivity, and Lingap, Husay at Malasakit — bringing Central Luzon to the forefront of tech-driven healthcare in the Philippines.
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