THE UNIVERSITY on Oct. 7 topped off the Henry Sy Sr. Hall, a simulation hub and research center expected to “revolutionize” medical education by its completion in 2024.
The hall, which will house the Sts. Cosmas and Damian Simulation Research Center of the Faculty of Medicine Surgery, is about 40 percent complete and is expected to finish construction by June 2024.
“Nowadays, keeping up with the advances in medical education is paramount to ensure that our students are competent, agile, and well-prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities of the ever-changing educational landscape of modern medicine,” UST Rector Fr. Richard Ang, O.P. said in his remarks.
“This edifice will give us state-of-the-art equipment, which will give our medical students a cutting-edge knowledge on how to use robotics, as well as other equipment,” he added.
The seven-story building will have simulated emergency rooms, surgical suites, delivery rooms, adult and pediatric intensive care units, and medical and pediatric wards.
It will also house debriefing rooms for medical scenario simulations and consultation rooms with low-medium and high-fidelity mannequins and audio-visual facilities.
Assoc. Prof. Ma. Lourdes Maglinao, the Medicine dean, said the hall’s simulation spaces would provide medicine students with a “realistic environment” where they can learn practical skills.
“This paradigm shift is set to revolutionize medical and healthcare, education, and research, ultimately providing future Filipino physicians with the best and accessible 21st-century medical education to better serve our country and our people,” Maglinao said during the topping-off rites.
“This will equip our medical graduates with the skill to provide quality health care, even in underserved areas of our country,” she added.
The hall was named after the late founder of the SM mall and property group, Henry Sy Sr., as requested by his daughter Teresita Sy-Coson, who donated P300 million to the project.
“This facility intends to elevate health education in the Philippines, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and research,” said Deborah Sy, a Henry Sy Foundation trustee and the SM Foundation executive director.
“It stands as a symbol of our enduring commitment to education and its pivotal role in fostering social progress,” she added.
The Henry Sy Sr. hall, located at the former parking lot beside the Tan Yan Kee Student Center and in front of the Miguel de Benavides Library, broke ground in January 2020 to kick off the Medicine’s sesquicentennial anniversary.
The project was led by Anargyroi Foundation, Inc., an alumni group, with AIMM Builder and Construction as contractor.
Sy said the foundation would continue donating to the hall as a “way of giving back and also focusing on [its] main thrust, which is education.”
The building is expected to open in Academic Year 2024-2025, according to Fr. Dexter Austria, O.P., director of the Facilities Management Office. Mabel Anne B. Cardinez with reports from Fernando Pierre Marcel Dela Cruz
