CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – History made — Jose B. Lingad Memorial General Hospital in Luzon and Cotabato Regional and Medical Center in Mindanao Cotabato City bridging a distance of 1,380 kilometers to perform – successfully – the country’s first-ever long-distance regional telesurgeries on Sept. 5.
Powered by the SSI Mantra Robotic Surgery System, the teams executed a cross-country robotic cholecystectomy performed by Dr. Ryan Quiambao at JBLMGH to a patient in Cotabato City. Subsequently, Dr. Al-Jazzer M. Angas and Dr. Louis Gerard Agustin of CRMC performed the same procedure on a patient located in the operating room of JBLMGH. All procedures were done safely in less than an hour with minimal blood loss.
At no cost to the patients, the surgeries were fully covered under the Department of Health’s Zero Balance Billing policy.
This milestone transcends geographical boundaries, serving as a critical initial step toward delivering equitable, world-class, and tech-driven surgical care to every single Filipino across the archipelago.
The procedure was witnessed by DOH Secretary Dr. Edwin M. Mercado, Pampanga Gov. Lilia “Nanay” Pineda, Nanay Partylist Cong. Florabel Yatco, DOH Central Luzon Center for Health Development director Dr. Corazon Flores and OIC-assistant director Dr. Lailani Mangulabnan, JBLMGH Medical Center chief Dr. Monserrat Chichioco, CRMC Medical Center chief DR. Ishmael Dimaren, JBLMGH Department of Surgery chair Dr. Nazer Salonga, CRMC Department of Surgery chair Dr. Faisal Romancap, and the entire JBLMGH and CRMC communities.
Coming all the way from New Delhi, India to personally witness the procedures was SS Innovations founder, chair and CEO Dr. Sudhir Shrivastava, the inventor of SS Mantra Robotics.
RBGM Medical Express Sales, Inc and SSI staff provided technical assistance and ensured seamless and uninterrupted internet connectivity during the surgeries.
“This breakthrough stands as a powerful testament to JBLMGH’s and CRMC’s commitment to innovation and inclusivity. By leveraging cutting-edge robotic telesurgery, we are not just showcasing technological advancement—we are actively dismantling geographic limitations to ensure that advanced, life-saving healthcare is accessible and equitable for all,” JBLMGH said in a statement. Punto News Team/JBLMGH FB Page
