Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department

Located in a small room on the first floor in front of the outpatient department inside the MCU-MDTMF hospital, the Unit of FGT Rehabilitation Center was established in 1983. This was made possible through the help of the Department of Medicine under the chairmanship of Dr. Lutgarda Quito.  She sent Dr Ferdinand Pagdilao, who was then the senior resident of the department, to the UST Department of Rehabilitation Medicine for a 3-year residency training program on June 1983 to May 1986. While Dr. Pagdilao was undergoing training, she held fund raising programs and was able to buy the equipment for the rehabilitation unit.  She arranged for Dr. Ricardo Agbayani to head the unit upon his graduation while waiting for Dr. Pagdilao.

In 1986, Dr. Pagdilao took over the center for one year. He left for the Middle East on 1987. The center was endorsed to another graduate of UST, Dr. Cheryl Albano. Improvement in the facilities, equipment, services and patients’ load were noted through the years. The unit was under the Department of Medicine until the Section of Neuropsychiatry became a Department in 1988. The unit of Rehabilitation Department became a section under the Department of Neuropsychiatry under the chairmanship of Dr. Rogelio Belleza. The section shared the ward in the hospital with Neuropsychiatry Department.

In 2001, the Section of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation became independent as a department during the term of Dra Raquel So-Sayo . Dra. Cheryl Co-Albano became the chairman. She was joined by Dra Editha Calderon as a visiting Consultant. The Department was relocated outside the hospital beside the Doctor’s Clinic and Industrial Clinic in 2003. She was joined by Dr. Eric Basuil and Dr. Gilbert Tan.

Through the years, the Department has undergone several improvements in its facilities, equipment, and services.

In October 2009 the Department transferred to its new location at the main building of the hospital, found at the back of Radiology Department adding more treatment cubicles and equipment to accommodate the increasing numbers of patients.

At present, aside from the rehabilitation services provided the Department, the center is providing free quarterly osteoporosis screening and layman’s lecture for their patients.