History
The Philippine Heart Center was established through Presidential Decree No. 673 issued by president Ferdinand E. Marcos on February 14, 1975.[2] The building is identified with what is referred to as the Marcoses' "edifice complex,"[8][9] defined by architect Gerard Lico as "an obsession and compulsion to build edifices as a hallmark of greatness."[10] The hospital was built using 50% of the national health budget, according to Senator Jose W. Diokno, "while around the country, Filipinos were dying of curable illnesses like TB [tuberculosis], whooping cough, and dysentery."[11]
Its original name was the Philippine Heart Center for Asia and was changed to its current form in 1975. The first patient to be admitted to the PHC was Imelda Francisco, on April 14, 1975.
Cardiovascular specialists including Christiaan Barnard, Denton Cooley, Donald Effler, and Charles Bailey practised there.[12][13] The first Director of the PHC was Avenilo P. Aventura (1974–1986), a cardiovascular surgeon who performed many pioneering operations in the Philippines including the first successful renal transplantation in 1970, the first CABG in 1972, and developed and implanted the first ASEAN bioprosthesis, the PHCA porcine valve.[14]
In 2014, the Philippine Heart Center was given a Qmentum International Gold Accreditation for August 2014 – 2017 by Accreditation Canada International for "excellence in hospital practices and safety.[15]
On June 13, 2024, Marcos, Jr. appointed Avenilo "Jun" L. Aventura Jr. M.D. as PHC's Executive Director.[16]
